Rub fat into your knees to ease arthritis

A GEL rubbed on the skin twice a day could banish the misery of knee pain caused by osteoarthritis.

The revolutionary gel does not contain drugs, but instead is made up of millions of tiny droplets of fat. These tiny globules, called phospholipids, travel through the skin and underlying tissue around the knee until they penetrate the joint.

Once inside, they coat the cartilage with a layer of protective fats. This replaces some of the naturally-occurring phospholipids that cover the surface of a healthy cartilage, but which have been destroyed by wear and tear from the disease.

As a result, there is less friction between the adjoining bones, which means pain is reduced and mobility improved.

A recent study in the journal Rheumatology showed that the gel, called Flexiseq, was as effective as celecoxib, a commonly used painkilling drug, in relieving discomfort and boosting mobility.

What makes the phospholipids so useful is a surface which is hydrophilic, which means they are naturally drawn to water. They are added to a waterbased gel, and when this is rubbed onto the skin, they stay in place until the water in the gel dries up.

Then the tiny fat droplets seek out the nearest alternative supply of fluid — which is the watery synovial fluid that circulates inside the knee joint. As they circulate in the synovial fluid, they are pressed against the cartilage as the knee moves. Over weeks or months, this creates a protective fatty layer.

In the trial at the University of Leeds, 238 patients who used the gel twice daily for 12 weeks reported a 39.8 per cent drop in pain levels, compared with 40.4 per cent among a similarsized group on celecoxib. The only reported side-effects from the gel were local skin irritation.

The new gel, which is available for € 22.95 i n pharmacies nationwide, could help patients who cannot tolerate the sideeffects of painkillers and antiinflammatory drugs.