Joint fluid, which acts as a shock absorber and lubricant in the knees, decreases with age. Leg nerves may also lose their ability to sense or perceive position in space (proprioception). Aging and osteoarthritis (OA) indicate a probable loss in joint fluid and occurrence of proprioception, which may increase the likelihood of falling. A study done at the Heart and Health Exercise Laboratory at the Centre for Activity and Ageing in Ontario sought to find a relationship between injecting a joint fluid supplement (hyaluronan) and increasing proprioception in an effort to decrease falls and provide pain relief.
The participants chosen for the study all had some degree of OA. Half of the participants were injected with hyaluronan and the other half with saline once a week for 3 weeks.
The authors of the study concluded that the joint fluid substitute failed to affect proprioception. Problems with the study included: small sample size, short duration, and participants suffered muscle fatigue from frequent knee movement. At the present time, physical therapy seems to be the most effective treatment to help preserve proprioception of the knee.
For further information, see: “Viscosupplementation Effect on Proprioception in the Osteoarthritic knee,” M. Payne, Msc; R. Petrella, MD, PhD; Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, volume 81, issue 5, p.598-603, May 2000.
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