Osteoarthritis

The ‘Ozempic drug,’ semaglutide, has been found to reduce moderately severe pain caused by knee osteoarthritis and improve physical functioning following weight loss, according to the results of a recent clinical trial by Novo Nordisk, the drug’s manufacturer.

Researchers may have identified the long-debated cause of creaking, popping and clicking knees – common at any age, with or without an underlying knee injury – and whether it's something to be concerned about.

A single injection of a new, off-the-shelf stem cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis significantly improved pain and function for up to 12 months in 75% of participants in a clinical trial. The treatment has the potential to prevent the disease's progression.

A clinical trial will soon commence investigating whether nose cartilage can be used to regenerate knee joints that have been severely worn down by osteoarthritis. If successful, the procedure could be an alternative treatment for the condition.

In 2023, researchers were focused on better understanding the disease process underlying arthritis, and the treatment and relief of symptoms. Here are the year’s top arthritis stories appearing on New Atlas.

Researchers have found that osteoarthritis is caused by the depletion of specialized gene-expressing cartilage-forming stem cells and found a way to treat and reverse the condition, instead of just managing its symptoms.

A study has found that methotrexate, a widely available and affordable drug that’s usually prescribed as a first-line treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, is effective at reducing the pain and stiffness suffered by people with hand osteoarthritis.

Scientists investigating new treatments for hand osteoarthritis have made promising new inroads through research on a drug originally developed for acne and psoriasis, with work now underway to ascertain its potential as a new clinical therapy.

A common diabetes drug has been linked to a reduction in the need for joint replacement surgery. The observational study suggests the drug could be helpful for patients with osteoarthritis, although further clinical work is needed to validate the association.

A pair of new studies have revealed evidence corticosteroid injections can hasten progression of knee osteoarthritis. The research, yet to be peer-reviewed and published, indicates hyaluronic acid injections may be a better pain relief option.

Treatments for osteoarthritis-related knee pain range from medication all the way up to knee joint replacement. The recently trialled Misha Knee System is intended to help fill the gap between those extremes, by acting as an implanted shock absorber.

When it comes to the different ways of exercising the human body, walking is about as accessible as they come, and new research suggests it could be a powerful way to tackle osteoarthritis in the knees.