DUROLANE is the first single-injection treatment containing hyaluronic acid (HA), introduced in 2001,* designed to relieve painful osteoarthritis (OA) in a number of joints,7 as described in the summary of Indications for Use.
If you have any further questions after reading this page, you should talk to your doctor.
* First introduced in the European Union in 2001.
FAQ
A steroid injection is used to reduce inflammation and pain. It has a faster onset of action than HA, but a shorter duration of effect.11
A clinical study was performed to compare steroid injection with DUROLANE treatment11 in patents with knee OA. Both treatments provided a reduction in joint pain and stiffness. The benefits of the steroid injection declined after four months, while the benefits of the DUROLANE injection were maintained for six months. In this study, 50% of the patients receiving only one DUROLANE injection still benefited from a reduction in pain after 12 months.
The study also showed that DUROLANE treatment can be repeated, without showing a decline in effect. Patients who initially received a steroid injection also responded well to follow-up treatment with DUROLANE.
A study published in 2015 has shown that treatment with HA injections can postpone knee replacement surgery.14 The more HA courses that the patients had received, the longer the time between their initial diagnosis of OA and their operation. Patients without HA treatment had their knee replacement surgery after an average of nine months. Patients who received five or more courses of HA delayed their knee replacement operation by 3.6 years.
Bones: Start to grow bony spurs called ‘osteophytes’ that restrict movement and cause pain.
Joint capsule: The tissue can become thick and swollen, and sometimes inflamed.
Cartilage: As OA progressively degrades this tissue, X-ray images reveal that the gap between joint bones, normally separated by cartilage, becomes smaller and movement without pain becomes more difficult over time.
Joint fluid: Joint fluid becomes degraded and less able to perform its protective functions.
Osteoarthritis is often referred to as a ‘degenerative joint disease’ that usually develops slowly over a period of years. It is a very common disease, typically associated with joint pain. For example, 6% of adults aged 30 years old or older have frequent knee pain.1 Over time, the cartilage on the surface of the joint becomes damaged and begins to wear away. This is a source of pain and stiffness in the joint.1
Ask your doctor for post-injection advice — these represent general guidelines only:
- As with any invasive joint procedure, it is recommended to avoid strenuous activity (eg, tennis, jogging or long walks) for the first two days after an injection.7
- During the first week following the injection, some transient reactions related to the injection may occur. Symptoms such as local pain and/or swelling or stiffness of mild to moderate intensity can be anticipated. If the symptoms last for more than a week, a doctor should be contacted.7
DUROLANE contains high levels of concentrated hyaluronic acid (HA) which mimics the effects of natural HA. It restores the levels of HA in an affected joint that have been diminished during the progression of osteoarthritis (OA).3 Hyaluronic acid is known to control pain13 and, as it possesses both viscous and elastic properties, it can provide lubrication and cushioning for shock absorption within the joint. Hyaluronic acid is also known to help maintain the normal fluid balance in a joint and help restore normal joint function.
DUROLANE is a single-injection treatment designed to provide lasting and powerful pain relief in your osteoarthritis (OA) joint. It is a form of hyaluronic acid (HA) produced from a non-animal source to eliminate allergic reactions, unlike some other HA-based products. DUROLANE was designed to have a long residence time in the joint.8 It consists of long chains of HA molecules, which form a three-dimensional gel.8 It is injected into the affected joint to compensate for the loss of HA that occurs with OA and to act as a lubricant and shock-absorber.
The HA in your joint tissues is continuously broken down and replaced over time. During the slow progression of OA, the HA is broken down faster than it is replaced in the joint tissues. This has a negative effect on the protective properties of the joint fluid, causing it to change and stop working properly.
Hyaluronic acid is a molecule found naturally throughout the human body. It is an important component of the joint fluid (synovial fluid). The synovial fluid allows joints to move easily and freely while also absorbing the shock in the joint that occurs during activity. In a healthy joint, the joint fluid helps to protect bones and other joint tissues from injury and disease.
Intra-articular hyaluronic acid offers comparable pain relief to pain-relieving drug therapy or injection of corticosteroids, with a longer duration of action.
Yes. The treatment can be repeated by your doctor as required.
There are no known contraindications associated with DUROLANE, which means there are no conditions or circumstances that suggest it should not be given. Unlike some other HA-based products, DUROLANE is not made from an animal source of HA, which makes the chance of developing an allergic reaction to DUROLANE very low. Treatment with DUROLANE may not be appropriate if your disease is too advanced. However your doctor can provide advice on this.
Many practitioners will administer a local skin anesthetic prior to giving the DUROLANE injection to minimise any discomfort.
The entire procedure is performed in the doctor’s consulting room and takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes. DUROLANE is administered by a single injection into the affected joint.
Yes. DUROLANE has been shown to be effective for osteoarthritis of the hip as well as the knee joint and other indicated joints.7
Yes. However, you will need one injection in each individual knee.
If you suffer with osteoarthritis pain and the pain is not controlled by lifestyle modifications and simple pain medications, then you could be a suitable candidate for DUROLANE treatment. To find out if DUROLANE is right for you, please consult your doctor.
The patented NASHA® hyaluronic acid (HA) stabilisation process enables DUROLANE to resist breakdown and have a long-lasting effects.15–18 Furthermore, there are high levels of concentrated HA in DUROLANE,9 which extends the time DUROLANE stays in the joint. This is in contrast to the HA in other HA products, which disappear within a few days after the injection. These are the main reasons why you will require only a single injection of DUROLANE, whereas a course of therapy with other HA products need several injections.
*Over one million DUROLANE injections have been administered since it was first introduced, with a low incidence of adverse events.
DUROLANE is the original single-injection HA treatment, introduced in 2001*. DUROLANE is created using NASHA – an advanced, patented, processing of hyaluronic acid (HA). In this process, DUROLANE is produced without using any animal-sourced materials and it is highly purified, ensuring that the risk of impurities is close to zero. In the joint, DUROLANE performs in the same way as the body’s own HA. There have been no reports of immunological or anaphylactic reactions to DUROLANE.
* First introduced in the European Union in 2001.
