Synvisc and synovial fluid replacement treatment
A personal overview by Dr Cameron
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Doctor Cameron also has extensive experience with Supartz Injection for joint pain, with Orthovisc Injections, Ostenil Injection Treatment and with Euflexxa. Please get in touch for more details of these innovative new viscosupplementation treatment approaches to osteoarthritis and other joint pains.
There's now also a new once only version of Synvisc called Synvisc One - needing only one injection instead of the normal three.
I have been using Synvisc to treat osteoarthritis of the knee for some considerable time with excellent results for many patients. The treatment is well tolerated and easily administered. There are few side effects and most people notice improvement very soon after the course of injections begins.
Synvisc is not a drug in the normal sense of the meaning. It does not carry the same concerns or risks of some other joint injections (steroids for instance) but it is important that it is given by a doctor experienced in its use and experienced in performing joint injections. Care needs to be taken to make sure that the injection goes into the joint and not the surrounding tissues and it is vital to make sure that infection is not introduced into the joint during the procedure.
In simple terms injecting Synvisc can be thought of as replacing the "oil" in the joint. Osteoarthritis damages the cartilage (called Synovium) which covers the joint surfaces. The damaged cartilage can't produce its lubricating fluid in the usual way and the joint becomes dried up, stiff and painful. Synvisc is an artificial variant of this synovial fluid and its injection can dramatically ease symptoms in an osteoarthritic joint. Most research has been done on knee joints but some specialists are now trying Synvisc in other joints too.
Three injections need to be given into the affected joint at intervals of about one or two weeks. The procedure only takes minutes and can be performed in the consulting room.
Take a look at some frequently asked questions about synvisc and artificial synovial fluid replacement.
Some doctors use another similar product called Hyalgan but it needs to be given on five consecutive occasions and for that reason I prefer to use Synvisc. In other aspects the two products are very similar. In older articles or on some websites you might find these injections called rooster comb injection or something similar.