According to study results published online January 21, 2013 in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, people who have advanced subtalar (ankle) osteoarthritis may benefit from viscosupplementation. Patients in the study received three intra-articular injections of sodium hyaluronate 10 mg. over the course of three weeks.
The ankle joint is formed by three bones: the tibia (inner ankle and leg bone), the fibula (outer ankle and leg bone), and the talus (odd shaped, lower ankle bone). The subtalar joint is located between the talus and the heel bone (calcaneus).
Results showed significant improvement in pain and function in the 6 months following the injections. There were 22 patients in the study, age range 22 to 72 years old. Trauma was the most common underlying cause of subtalar osteoarthritis. Larger, randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the findings.
Related Articles:
- Ankle Osteoarthritis - What You Need to Know
- Hyaluronan Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis
- What Is Viscosupplementation?
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