[Conservative and joint-preserving therapy for knee osteoarthritis]

Abstract

The treatment of knee osteoarthritis requires a multimodal approach and depends on the symptoms and stage of the disease. Conservative therapy is the first-line treatment and includes life-style changes (weight loss, exercise therapy), topical and oral pain medication, and intraarticular application of hyaluronic acid or platelet-rich plasma. Surgical joint-preserving therapies comprise knee arthroscopy to remove unstable meniscus tears or foreign bodies as well as osteotomy for unicompartmental arthrosis in case of leg malalignment.

Keywords: Knee osteoarthritis; hyaluronic acid; joint preservation; non-surgical therapy; osteotomy; platelet-rich plasma.