Knee Injections For Osteoarthritis: What To Expect - Healthline

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Key takeaways

Injections like corticosteroids and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy can help manage knee osteoarthritis by reducing inflammation and pain, though they aren’t a cure.
Different types of knee injections have varying benefits and risks. For example, corticosteroids may provide short-term relief but can have side effects with long-term use.
If injections and medications become ineffective as arthritis progresses, consulting a healthcare professional is essential to explore alternative treatment options.

healthcare professional assessing a person's knee

Injections for knee osteoarthritis aren’t a cure, but they could help reduce inflammation, provide pain relief, and increase your quality of life.

Keep reading to learn more about different types of knee injections, the potential benefits and risks, and what to expect during treatment.

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids, or glucocorticoids, are the most common type of injection for osteoarthritis of the knee. They’re similar to cortisol, a hormone the body produces naturally.

Corticosteroids are injected into the affected knee joint, known as intra-articular injection. This may quickly help reduce inflammation, relieve symptoms, and increase mobility.

Guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation (ACR/AF) recommend corticosteroid injections over other types of injections for knee osteoarthritis.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, corticosteroid benefits could last several months.

However, it’s important to note that corticosteroids are not a long-term solution due to their potential side effects. Some of these may include:

cartilage degeneration
high blood pressure
blood sugar level spike
stress
bone loss
weight gain
headaches
infections
vision changes, such as blurry vision

A doctor may recommend waiting at least 3 months between injections and limiting injections to a single joint 2–3 times yearly.

It’s important to speak with a healthcare professional before taking corticosteroids. They could recommend an alternative, more sustainable osteoarthritis treatment based on your health condition.

For example, a 2020 study found that people who underwent physical therapy for a year had better results than those who received steroid injections.

Fluid aspiration (arthrocentesis)

Arthrocentesis is an injection therapy that removes excess fluid from the knee joint, which may provide immediate relief from pain and swelling.

Joints are surrounded by synovial fluid. This lubricates the joint to help it move smoothly through its full range of motion. However, inflammation caused by osteoarthritis may lead to excess fluid collecting within the knee joint, leading to symptoms of osteoarthritis.

A healthcare professional may also aspirate joint fluid if they suspect you may have a joint infection, a process called synovial fluid analysis.

Side effects and complications of arthrocentesis are rare, but may include:

infection
bleeding
allergic reaction

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy

PRP therapy is an injection that uses your own blood to help regenerate tissue damaged by osteoarthritis.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), research suggests PRP may have several benefits for knee osteoarthritis, such as:

providing relief from swelling, pain, stiffness, and inflammation
increasing mobility, function, and range of motion
increasing quality of life

However, it’s important to note that PRP is only available as an off-label treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Researchers also agree that more studies are needed to fully support the use of PRP for knee osteoarthritis.

For these reasons, the ACR/AF don’t recommend PRP for knee osteoarthritis.

Learn more about PRP therapy for knee osteoarthritis.

Hyaluronic acid (HA)

Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections are a type of viscosupplementation.

HA injections may help relieve symptoms and help your knee better absorb shock by providing extra lubrication in the affected knee, according to the AAOS.

Some possible side effects include swelling, tenderness, and pain where you receive the injection.

The ACR/AF don’t recommend HA injections due to the lack of research supporting their use in treating knee osteoarthritis.

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy is a type of injection therapy that uses a dextrose solution, a type of sugar.

A 2023 review suggests prolotherapy may help improve knee mobility, pain, and function. However, the authors conclude that more research is needed.

Similarly, the ACR/AF don’t recommend prolotherapy for treating knee osteoarthritis.

That said, the Arthritis Foundation suggests it could be a possible treatment to try if no other treatment works, as there are limited risks of possible side effects.

What does the procedure involve?

You can usually receive a knee injection in a doctor’s office. The procedure only takes a few minutes.

A doctor will first ask you to sit and they will position your knee. Then, they will:

clean the skin on your knee and treat it with a local anesthetic
insert the needle into your joint, which might cause some discomfort
inject the medication into your joint
remove the needle from your joint
place a small dressing over the injection site

A doctor may use ultrasound to help guide the needle to the best location. The procedure is rarely painful, though you may feel discomfort.

Recovery

After the injection, you’ll usually be able to go straight home. A doctor may advise you to:

avoid strenuous activity for the next 24 hours
avoid swimming
avoid hot tubs
avoid prolonged exposure to something that may allow an infection to be introduced through the needle track, which should be closed up within 24 hours
monitor for side effects, such as an allergic reaction or an infection (swelling and redness)
take OTC pain relief medication to reduce discomfort

Your knee may feel tender for a few days. Ask the doctor if there are any driving restrictions.

Pros and cons of knee injections

Here are some of the pros and cons of knee injections.

Pros

Injections may provide immediate relief from pain and inflammation.
Relief may last several months.
In some cases, symptoms may disappear for good after one injection.

Cons

They’re typically short-term solutions, and the pain will return.
If osteoarthritis is severe, injections may not be effective.
Some people don’t experience relief.
Over time, their effectiveness can decrease.
Steroid use can lead to adverse effects.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best injection for osteoarthritis in the knee?

Corticosteroid injections are typically recommended over other types of injections for knee osteoarthritis treatment.

Do knee injections work for osteoarthritis?

Some types of injections may help provide short-term relief for knee osteoarthritis, including corticosteroid injections, fluid aspirations, and PRP therapy.

Takeaway

Several injections may help relieve knee osteoarthritis, but they aren’t a cure. The effectiveness also varies between individuals, and some people may benefit more than others.

If your arthritis has progressed significantly, injections and other medications may no longer provide relief.

Speak with a healthcare professional about your osteoarthritis. They can help develop the best treatment plan for you.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

About arthritis. (n.d.).https://www.arthritis.org/
Akbarnia H, et al. (2022). Knee arthrocentesis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470229/
Deyle GD, et al. (2020). Physical therapy versus glucocorticoid injection for osteoarthritis of the knee.https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1905877
How and when to have hydrocortisone injections. (2024).https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hydrocortisone-injections/how-and-when-to-have-hydrocortisone-injections/
Hydrocortisone injections. (n.d.).https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hydrocortisone-injections/
Kolasinski SL, et al. (2020). 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation guidelines for the management of osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee.https://acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/art.41142
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for knee osteoarthritis technology overview. (n.d.).https://www.aaos.org/globalassets/quality-and-practice-resources/biologics/technology-overview_prp-for-knee-oa.pdf
Steroid injections. (2023).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/steroid-injections/
Tantillo TJ, et al. (2023). Arthrocentesis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557805/
Treatment and support: Osteoarthritis. (2023).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoarthritis/treatment/
Viscosupplementation treatment for knee arthritis. (2021).https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/viscosupplementation-treatment-for-knee-arthritis/
Waluyo Y, et al. (2023). Efficacy of prolotherapy for osteoarthritis: A systematic review.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9989868/

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Medically reviewed by Stella Bard, MD — Written by Ann Pietrangelo — Updated on April 16, 2024

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Key takeaways

Corticosteroids

Fluid aspiration (arthrocentesis)

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy

Hyaluronic acid (HA)

Prolotherapy

What does the procedure involve?

Recovery

Pros and cons of knee injections

Pros

Cons

Frequently asked questions

What is the best injection for osteoarthritis in the knee?

Do knee injections work for osteoarthritis?

Takeaway

How we reviewed this article:

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