Abstract
Background and objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether injection of trigger points with lidocaine combined with intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection would be more effective in pain reduction and assisting daily activities of patients with knee osteoarthritis then hyaluronic acid injection alone.
Methods: Thirty-four, female, osteoarthritis patients were randomly assigned into two groups (hyaluronic acid group, n = 17; trigger point group, n = 17). Patients in the trigger point group received intraarticular 2 ml Na-hyaluronate injections and trigger point injections, three times with one-week intervals. The hyaluronic acid group received only hyaluronic acid injections. Before the treatment and 7 days after the third injection, the same physician who was blind to the treatment, assessed the intensity of pain at rest or during normal daily activities, activity restrictions, and joint range of motion.
Results: A significant improvement of pain and reduction of activity restrictions was observed in the trigger point group (p < 0.001) while in the hyaluronic acid group, there were significant improvements only in squatting and walking (p = 0.03). A significant improvement in range of movement was observed only in the trigger point group.
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