New method to treat knee arthritis

Surgeons are using a new “longer-lasting” treatment for knee arthritis which involves injecting patients with a strengthened form of their own blood.

It is hoped the technique, being trialled at Southampton General Hospital, will provide a more effective alternative to steroid injections, currently the most common treatment.

Arthritis of the joints, known as osteoarthritis, is the most common form of the condition in the UK, and osteoarthritis of the knees affects more than 4.7 million people.

Study leader Gorav Datta, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, said: “A large proportion of patients suffer from pain that may not be bad enough for surgery but can require regular steroid injections.

“Throughthedevelopmentof thisnewcustomisedtreatment we are hopeful of achieving longer-lasting pain relief with better knee joint function.”