A new, minimally invasive procedure could offer lasting pain relief for people with knee osteoarthritis. This treatment targets abnormal blood vessels around the knee. It provides a new option for those who haven't found enough relief from medications or injections but aren't ready for joint replacement surgery.
The procedure, called genicular artery embolization (GAE), significantly reduces pain and improves mobility. It also boosts the quality of life for patients. These findings were published in the journal Radiology.
How GAE Works for Knee Pain
Knee osteoarthritis affects over 365 million adults worldwide. It often causes chronic inflammation, stiffness, and loss of function. Dr. Florian Nima Fleckenstein, from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, noted that many patients are stuck between ineffective conservative treatments and unwanted surgery.
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Start Your News DetoxGAE addresses this gap. It involves blocking abnormal blood vessels that gather around the knee joint. These vessels contribute to inflammation and pain. During the procedure, an interventional radiologist uses a thin catheter. They inject tiny, rapidly dissolving gelatin-based microspheres into the affected vessels. This blocks blood flow, reducing inflammation and pain without surgery.
Dr. Fleckenstein explained that GAE targets the abnormal blood vessel growth around the joint. This helps change the unhealthy environment of nerves and blood vessels. By reducing inflammation and pain, GAE with resorbable microspheres might even slow down the disease's progression.
Digital subtraction angiography images from a 62-year-old patient with knee osteoarthritis. Arrows indicate hypervascular branches of the genicular arteries before embolization; post-treatment images were obtained after embolization with resorbable gelatin microspheres. Credit: RSNA
Study Shows Lasting Relief
A study enrolled 194 patients with knee osteoarthritis pain. All had tried conservative treatments for at least three months without success. The patients underwent GAE using the resorbable microspheres. Some patients had both knees treated.
The procedures were all successful, with no serious side effects. Only a small number of patients had mild, temporary reactions. Researchers tracked outcomes for 12 months.
Patients reported rapid and continuous improvement in pain levels. On a 0-to-10 pain scale, the median score dropped from 7 before treatment to 3 after 12 months. This shows sustained relief.
Scores for knee function, daily activities, sports, and quality of life also improved significantly. For example, daily activity scores rose from 53 to 71.5. Quality-of-life scores increased from 19 to 40.
Study flowchart showing participant enrollment and follow-up. Of 241 patients assessed, 194 were enrolled after multidisciplinary review by orthopedic surgery and interventional radiology teams. Multiple exclusion criteria could apply to a single participant. GAE = genicular artery embolization. Credit: RSNA
By the 12-month mark, 80% of patients had achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in pain. This means their pain reduction was significant enough to make a real difference in their lives.
Dr. Fleckenstein highlighted that this study is the largest of its kind for GAE using resorbable microspheres. He noted that the results come from real-world data, making them highly reliable. For the right patient, GAE can offer lasting relief from a single, minimally invasive procedure. This provides a valuable new option between injections and joint replacement surgery.
Deep Dive & References
Genicular Artery Embolization Using Rapidly Resorbable Gelatin-based Microspheres for Osteoarthritis-related Knee Pain - Radiology, 2026
