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Musculoskeletal / Orthopedic

Knee Pain & Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is a condition that is caused by repetitive wear and tear of the joint.

Knee Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is a condition that is caused by repetitive wear and tear of the joint. Damage To the cartilage results in persistent inflammation that causes tiny new blood vessels and nerves to grow within the knee joint. Genicular Artery Embolization is a procedure that injects microscopic beads into the areas with abnormal blood vessels, so they are reduced, drastically minimizing the pain associated with abnormal vessels.

Discover how Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE) is changing knee osteoarthritis care in this BackTable Podcast episode featuring IR Centers physicians Dr. Piechowiak and Dr. Khan.

Procedural Details

The interventional Radiologist makes a small needle puncture into a blood vessel at the top of the leg and guides a microcatheter into the blood vessels that supply the inflamed part of the knee. The procedure is performed under a ‘twilight sleep’ and is relatively painless.

Microscopic beads are injected into the areas with abnormal vessels and hypervascularity, reducing the excessive flow causing the pain and swelling. Normal blood flow to the knee and its surrounding tissues remains intact after the procedure.

Advantages of GAE

  • No surgical incision or injection into the knee joint
  • Painless procedure lasting about one hour
  • Typically return to work within a day or two without the need for a lengthy recovery
  • Very low complication rate without any effect on future knee replacement
  • Symptom improvement usually within 1-3 weeks

Why GAE?

GAE is useful to relieve knee pain from OA instead of taking frequent medication or getting injections into the knee. It can also be beneficial in those who are not ready to have a knee replacement surgery. Published clinical studies by our team have demonstrated that GAE can provide pain relief without the risks associated with chronic medication or having to get repeat injections.

GAE, however, is not necessarily a substitute for total knee replacement and has not been shown to negatively impact future knee replacement surgery when performed with our technique.

Publications

Multicenter Randomized Sham Controlled Study of Genicular Artery Embolization for Knee Pain Secondary to Osteoarthritis

Sandeep Bagla, MD, Rachel Piechowiak, DO, Abin Sajan, MD, Julie Orlando, BHS, Terry Hartman, MPH, MS, CCRC, and Ari Isaacson, MD

2022 JVIR Editor's Award for Outstanding Clinical Research

Genicular Artery Embolization for the Treatment of Knee Pain Secondary to Osteoarthritis

Sandeep Bagla, MD, Rachel Piechowiak, DO, Terry Hartman, MPH, MS, CCRC, Julie Orlando, BHS, Daniel Del Gaizo, MD, and Ari Isaacson, MD

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the symptoms of Knee Arthritis?
  • Pain in the knee joint
  • Stiffness (usually related to time of day)
  • Swelling of the knee joint
  • Difficulty walking up and down stairs
  • Difficulty walking on flat surfaces
  • Tenderness in areas around the knee
What are the Treatments for Knee Arthritis?

Weight loss / physical therapy

Reduction in weight and Physical Therapy may be associated with improvement in symptoms, however pain may limit one’s ability to do so.

Medications / joint injections

Medications such at Tylenol or Ibuprofen may be effective in reducing symptoms of knee pain and swelling but can also have side effects such as gastritis, liver or kidney damage. Steroid or Lubricant Injections may act temporarily in some patients.

Surgery

Knee Replacement surgery and other variations of joint replacement are commonly performed in patients whom other measures fail.

Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE)

GAE is a minimally invasive procedure to reduce the inflammation and pain in the knee by reducing the blood supply to the lining of the knee that causes pain and tenderness.

When is the right time to have GAE?

GAE is useful to relieve knee pain from OA instead of taking frequent medication or getting injections into the knee. It can also be beneficial in those who are not ready to have a knee replacement surgery. Published clinical studies by our team have demonstrated that GAE can provide pain relief without the risks associated with chronic medication or having to get repeat injections. GAE, however, is not necessarily a substitute for total knee replacement and has not been shown to negatively impact future knee replacement surgery when performed with our technique.

How long has this Team of Physicians been performing GAE?

Our Expert Interventional Radiologists have been performing Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE) for more than 10 years and also published the first Clinical Studies, including a Randomized Controlled Study in the United States. We remain committed to evidence based treatment recommendations and the decision for treatment remains individualized based on your symptoms and disease severity.

Does my insurance cover the procedure?

Our team will work with your insurance company to get authorization for your procedure. In our experience, we are able to get coverage for most patients based on their history and examination.

How do I set up a consultation?

Call or email us and we will schedule you for a consultation with our Interventional Radiology Team.

Will this interfere with a knee replacement surgery in future should I need one?

The technique we use should not cause any interference with any future knee surgery, including joint replacement surgery. While there are some physicians who are using metal coils, we do NOT use this technique as there is no published clinical data to support that technique or method of treatment with positive outcomes. Our physicians have performed FDA approved clinical studies in this treatment for the longest time in the US.

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