If you've been suffering with osteoarthritis of the knee, but want less invasive pain relief, you may be searching for knee replacement alternatives. Thankfully, due to advancements in the medical field, there are many ways to relieve your pain without surgery. Here are the procedures your need to know about.

Knee replacement alternatives: genicular artery embolization (GAE)

GAE is one of newest treatment options if you're seeking non-surgical knee replacement alternatives. Performed by our Interventional Radiologists at the Texas Knee Institute, this procedure works by restricting blood flow to the inflamed lining of your affected knee(s). Afterward, inflammation reduces, reducing or eliminating your knee pain. In fact, this 2020 study revealed that the procedure effectively reduces moderate to severe knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. Plus, by choosing to undergo GAE, you may prevent arthritis progression and help preserve your mobility.

Injections to Relieve Osteoarthritis Knee Pain

Other knee replacement alternatives involve injections to your affected joint area. Some physicians recommend injecting hyaluronic acid to your inflamed knee joint, in order to reduce pain by lubricating the area and offering additional shock absorption. However, due to limited research on its effectiveness, the Arthritis Foundation does not currently endorse this treatment option.

Another option making headlines is dextrose solution injections for osteoarthritis knee pain. Touted as a form of regenerative medicine due to its potential to reduce pain and stiffness by directing healing blood flow to your knee, this option also lacks research on its effectiveness. As such, it is also not endorsed by the Arthritis Foundation.

Finally, for patients with mild to moderate arthritis knee pain, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections may relieve pain and improve mobility for up to one year. The treatment works by injecting the platelet-rich portion of your own blood into your affected knee, helping promote healing and healthy new cell growth. While patient reported results are positive, we still lack scientific research into the safety and efficacy of this knee replacement alternative.

Scientifically Backed Knee Replacement Alternatives

Want to relieve arthritis knee pain without surgery? But looking for knee replacement alternatives who's efficacy can be proven by science? Click here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointment at the Texas Knee Institute to see if you're a candidate for GAE!

As one of the hottest sports among older adults, many athletes are finding it harder to get into matches because of pickleball knee pain. Now, this game is supposed to be gentler on your joints than sports like tennis or running. But if you have osteoarthritis in your knees, staying active on the court can be a real challenge. And that's where GAE, or genicular artery embolization, can help!

What Causes Pickleball Knee Pain?

According to Paddletek, there are 36.5 million pickleball players in the US. And, of those players, more than 50% are over the age of 55, while more than 30% are 65 and older. Now, staying active at that age can certainly increase your risk for certain knee injuries, including muscle and ligament strains. (Your risk will increase dramatically if you already have limited mobility in your joints.)

Stretching before and after a game; wearing supportive foot gear; and listening to your body can help avoid sport-related injury. But if your pickleball knee pain is due to osteoarthritis, you may find relief from a different source: the GAE alternative knee replacement procedure.

That was true for 80-year-old Patrick Shruben, who recently discussed his 2021 GAE knee procedure with UCLA Health. The avid athlete wanted relief from pickleball knee pain, but “did not want to sit in pain for months after surgery.” So, after some research, he underwent GAE, and says, "My treatment was pretty amazing. I walked without knee pain the next day.”

Even better? For those wondering about the efficacy of GAE relief,  Shruben is still going strong, two years after his procedure. Today, he says, “Here I am at 80, and I’m doing things my own children can’t do.”

GAE Knee Procedure at the Texas Knee Institute

Ready to put pickleball knee pain in your rearview mirror? Want to relieve osteoarthritis knee pain without surgery? Click here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointment. When you come into the office, we'll review your candidacy for GAE and make personalized treatment recommendations.

If you want relief from the chronic pain and swelling of osteoarthritis without surgery, you may be seeking an alternative knee replacement. After all, some people aren't good candidates for surgery. And others may prefer to delay a knee replacement, since artificial knees are unlikely to last longer than 20 years.

Now, it's important to remember that arthritis can't be cured. But you can relieve pain and swelling, and preserve your mobility, often without surgery. Here's what you need to know.

Home Remedies for Arthritis Knee Pain

Certain lifestyle measures can help relieve knee pain due to osteoarthritis as an alternative knee replacement. First, consider losing weight, as this will relieve some of the stress and pressure on your knee joints. This can also help delay the destruction of cartilage in your knee.

Engaging in low impact exercise, such as swimming or walking on a treadmill, can help you maintain mobility and limit stiffness. And, for many people, over-the-counter medications, including NSAIDs (nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatories) can help manage pain and inflammation, as long as your doctor clears you to use this category of medication.

Alternative Knee Replacement Treatments

Several medical interventions can temporarily relieve osteoarthritis knee pain while still allowing you to avoid surgery. Some patients will benefit from shots of cortisone or hyaluronic acid, because they can relieve inflammation and improve joint lubrication. The effects of these injections typically last a few months.

However for relief that lasts a year or more, patients may prefer to schedule genicular artery embolization, or GAE, an alternative knee replacement that relieves osteoarthritis related knee pain by reducing blood flow to the knee joint. This relieves pain and inflammation, and can even slow disease progression, helping you avoid or delay knee replacement surgery.

Ready to see if GAE is the right option to relieve your knee pain? If you have moderate to severe osteoarthritis knee pain, are between the ages of 40 and 80, and haven't found relief from conservative arthritis treatments, you may be a GAE candidate. Click here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointment with the Texas Knee Institute, so we can discuss your options!

Our specialists at the Texas Knee Institue relieve the pain of knee osteoarthritis by performing genicular artery embolization (GAE). This is a minimally invasive procedure that reduces pain while improving mobility; it works by blocking blood flow to your knee's synovial lining in order to target inflammation. Now, this treatment has been helpful to patients with moderate to severe arthritis pain who can't or don't want to undergo knee replacement surgery. But they do want to know about the genicular artery embolization recovery period. And here are all the important details.

Genicular Artery Embolization Recovery Immediately after the Procedure

A typical GAE procedure lasts between 1 and 2 hours. Aferward, we'll keep you under brief observation, and you should be able to walk--and go home--on that same day.

The next day, you'll be allowed to resume light activities. Within three days of the procedure, you can resume full activity levels, avoiding long stair climbs or heavy lifting. By two weeks post-procedure, the recovery should be complete and you can enjoy the full benefits of the GAE procedure.

How Long Does it Take to Recover From GAE?

Following GAE, you should only notice mild side effects, such as light bruising or minor skin changes. Within two weeks, your recovery should be complete. At that point, you'll notice:

• Less swelling and knee pain
• Reduced stiffness
• Improvements in functionality and mobility

Clearly, following genicular artery embolization recovery, patients experience noticeable osteoarthritis knee pain relief, with results lasting for up to a full year. We therefore recommend this treatment for patients suffering from moderate to severe arthritis pain, who can't or prefer not to undergo a complete knee replacement surgery. Ready to see if GAE is your pathway to arthritis relief? Click here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointment with our knee specialists in Texas!

If you have developed arthritis in the knee, you may be seeking treatment for arthritis knee pain. But what is arthritis, why does it cause pain and what are your treatment options? Keep reading to find out.

What is arthritis of the knee?

Arthritis is a term that describes swelling and tenderness in one or more of your joints. If you have arthritis of the knee, joints in one or both knees may be affected, leading to additional symptoms such as pain and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of the disease to impact your knee joints. And, while the disease is progressive and has no cure, there are treatments available to help relieve your pain.

Treatment for Arthritis Knee Pain

When you have arthritis in one or both knees, it’s important to seek early intervention. With prompt treatment, you can maintain mobility, manage pain and delay or prevent disease progression.

For some people, pain can be relieved with heating pads and over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Physical therapy and regular exercise can help preserve your mobility. But, when those treatments fail to fully offer relief, and you aren’t ready for surgery, aren’t a surgical candidate, or simply wish to delay this invasive treatment option, it’s time to explore genicular artery embolization (GAE), an alternative to surgical treatment for arthritis knee pain.

What is GAE?

GAE is a non-surgical procedure that slows osteoarthritis progression in your knee. Because it is minimally invasive, and lasts just about two hours, this treatment won’t require hospitalization or general anesthesia.

During the procedure, we’ll administer an anesthetic through a small puncture in your groin. Then, we’ll use that access point to insert a thin catheter into your femoral artery, guiding it to your knee’s genicular artery with the help of X-ray imaging. 

Once the genicular arteries are in sight, we release small embolic materials into your vessels, limiting blood flow to the lining of your knee and reducing pain, inflammation and other symptoms of knee arthritis. Finally, we extract your catheter, cover your puncture site with a sanitized bandage, and send you home a few hours later, when you’re able to walk. The day after choosing this treatment for arthritis knee pain, you’ll be able to resume your normal activities. And, within weeks, you should experience noticeable arthritis symptom relief.

Choosing GAE for Treatment of Arthritis Knee Pain in Texas

Ready to see if you’re a candidate for GAE in Houston or Dallas? This may be your ideal treatment if you

• Have a formal knee osteoarthritis diagnosis
• Are living with moderate to severe knee pain and stiffness
• Haven’t found relief through medications or conservative treatment options
• Are between the ages of 40 and 80, in generally good health

Do you meet these criteria and are ready to find your pathway to relief? Click here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointment with our experts at the Texas Knee Institute.

If you’re considering an alternative knee replacement, you may worry about genicular artery embolization side effects. But what is this procedure, how does it relieve arthritis-related knee pain and what, if any, side effects should you expect? Keep reading to find out.

What is Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE)?

GAE is a minimally invasive treatment option for people living with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. At the Texas Knee Institute, our interventional radiologists perform this outpatient procedure with local anesthesia, allowing you to remain awake and pain-free, while avoiding an overnight hospital stay!

Once the anesthetic takes effect, our specialists insert a catheter through a small opening in the leg, guiding it to the blood vessels supplying your knee joint.  Once x-ray imaging confirms the catheter is in the proper place, we inject tiny body-safe beads into your knee lining (synovium.) Afterward, the reduced blood flow to the region will result in less pain and swelling.  

Genicular Artery Embolization Side Effects

Research shows that there aren’t significant genicular artery embolization side effects. If you do experience effects after your procedure, they should be mild and easy to tolerate. These include dull pain, bruising or discoloration around your knee, or a mild numbing effect, However, if you do experience these side effects, they should resolve within weeks of your GAE procedure.

Genicular Artery Embolization: Side Effects vs Benefits

As you can see, any side effects associated with the GAE alternative knee replacement are minor and self-resolving. That is not the case for other, more invasive treatment options for osteoarthritis of the knee.

Yet, despite minimal side effects, GAE comes with a success rate as high as 70% when it comes to reducing knee pain and other symptoms caused by OA. And that’s not all. When you choose this alternative knee replacement, your recovery period will last a few weeks at most—a sharp contrast to the nearly full year it takes to come back from knee replacement surgery. As such, few people who are good GAE candidates worry about the minor genicular artery embolization side effects. Instead, they focus on the OA symptom relief and the reduced down time they can enjoy when choosing this treatment option!

Choosing GAE in Texas

Not every patient will be a GAE candidate. However, this is a great treatment option for patients who are ineligible for or wish to avoid knee replacement surgery, but haven’t found relief from other treatment options. Because, while GAE won’t cure osteoarthritis, it can provide extended relief from OA symptoms, helping you maintain mobility and delay or avoid surgery. Ready to see if you’re candidate for GAE in Houston or Dallas? Click here to request a consultation. Click here to request a consultation. Click here to request a consultation.

As you age, your knees may wear down. In other words, the older you are, the more likely it is that you've sustained damage to your cartilage (smooth tissue located between your bones.) This allows osteoarthritis to attack your knees, leading to pain, stiffness and mobility limits.

Once, knee surgery was the only way to relieve osteoarthritis-related knee pain. Today, however, patients can find relief without undergoing knee replacement surgery.

How can you treat osteoarthritis of the knee without surgery? After exhausting options like over-the-counter medications fail, patients can now find relief from the GAE knee procedure we offer at the Texas Knee Institute, also known as genicular artery embolization.

Understanding the GAE Knee Procedure

Instead of targeting your cartilage, like older arthritis treatments, GAE addresses inflammation surrounding your knee joint.

But how does it fight inflammation? It's because the knees are lined by synovium, a kind of connective tissue that receives blood supply from six genicular arteries. So, we can reduce that inflammation by reducing blood flow to the synovium with GAE.

Put simply, our interventional radiologists use guided 3D imaging to find inflammation areas of the synovium. Then, they insert a small catheter into the artery, guiding it to those spots. Next, they inject small particles that reduce arterial blood flow, in turn reducing inflammation to provide pain relief.

Plus, when you choose the GAE knee procedure, you can avoid an overnight hospital stay. While you will have to reduce activity levels for several days following your procedure, the recovery is easier than post-surgical recoveries. In fact, most patients resume normal activity levels just days after genicular artery embolization.

Additional Benefits

GAE recovery does not usually leave patients requiring serious pain medications. However, it is not a cure for osteoarthritis, as it does not restore or repair knee cartilage. Instead, it may delay osteoarthritis progression while providing effective pain relief and improving mobility. As such, this procedure helps many patients delay or avoid knee replacement surgery entirely.

Ready to see if genicular artery embolization is your ideal alternative to knee replacement surgery? Click here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointment at our Texas Knee Institute. When you come in, we will determine the extent of your osteoarthritis and determine if you're a candidate for GAE.

Recently, our Texas Knee Institute's interventional radiologists added Genicular Artery Embolization, or GAE, as an alternative knee replacement procedure. This is a minimally invasive procedure that relieves knee inflammation and pain without surgery. It works by decreasing blood flow to parts of the knee that have sustained osteoarthritis damage. But what causes that damage? And who should seek this alternative knee replacement? Here's everything you need to know!

Osteoarthritis Knee Damage

When working properly, your knee joints act like hinges, letting you bend or move with ease. However, every year of life puts wear and tear on your knee joints and the underlying cartilage. As a result, your bone may exposed and osteoarthritis, pain, stiffness and joint immobility may result.

Age increases your risk for knee osteoarthritis; in fact, the National Institutes of Health notes that, after turning 60, 10% of men and 13% suffer from this condition. Most require some form of pain relief, but many hope it can come without surgery. As a result, our GAE alternative knee replacement is now a very popular treatment option for osteoarthritis.

What Happens During GAE

Though it's a fairly new way to treat knee osteoarthritis, GAE is extremely effective. It works by taking a fresh approach to osteoarthritis relief, targeting inflammation instead of cartilage degradation. By changing the mechanism of action, it's able to slow the bone degradation of bone-on-bone contact, relieve pain and slow the progression of disease. And it does so without surgery!

But can GAE relief really last? According to the UCLA Medical Center study, one year after GAE, 70% of patients have less pain, stiffness or difficulty walking. Clearly, the procedure offers more lasting results than many other non-surgical treatment options.

A Closer Look at the Alternative Knee Replacement

What happens during the GAE treatment? To begin this outpatient procedure, our interventional radiologists make a small incision in the crease of the leg to access the femoral artery via catheter. Next, we guide that catheter using x-ray imaging to access three of the seven genicular arteries that feed blood to your knee joint.

Patients remain awake during GAE, so we can accurately target the exact sources of knee pain. Once we find the right spots, we'll insert beads to the catheter, blocking blood flow to the arteries feeding spots where you experience pain and inflammation. In about two hours, your procedure is complete. Then, following an observation period for safety, you'll be free to go home (on modified activity levels), and can avoid an overnight hospital stay.

Alternative Knee Replacement: Who is a Candidate?

Patients who are good candidates for genicular artery embolization have experienced at least six months of chronic knee pain. They should also try at least one other non-surgical treatment option before seeking GAE, and should not be smokers. Ready to find relief from knee pain without surgery? Contact our Texas Knee Institute by clicking here to request an appointment.clicking here to request an appointment.clicking here to request an appointment.

Many people want to explore the success rate of genicular artery embolization, a new alternative knee replacement option. Thankfully, as the statistics come in, it's becoming clear that this minimally invasive osteoarthritis treatment works. But before we break down the numbers, let's take a closer peek inside this procedure.

Genicular artery embolization: what to expect

Genicular artery embolization (GAE) is an alternative to knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis sufferers. It can relieve osteoarthritis pain and delay disease progression without forcing you to replace the knee joint.

Who is a good candidate for this procedure? It's intended for patients with mild arthritis, or for seeking treatments less invasive than surgery but more aggressive than medications and/or physical therapy. How does GAE find a middle ground? In short, it works by blocking blood flow to the hypervascular joint lining (synovium).

How does blocking blood flow relieve osteoarthritis? Here's the story: your synovium is a vascular lining. As a result, if you develop osteoarthritis in your knee, that joint lining becomes thickened and inflamed, resulting in pain. So, to relieve that pain, our Texas Knee Institute's interventional radiologists insert a small catheter into one of the leg arteries. Then, using x-ray guidance to navigate the blood vessels, we can pinpoint the origins of inflammation. Next, we'll target the inflamed synovium sections by injecting particles to decrease blood flow to the knee. In turn, inflammation and pain reduces, and joint function improves.  

What's the success rate of genicular artery embolization?

As an alternative knee replacement, GAE can reduce inflammation in the joint lining, helping slow osteoarthritis progression. Afterward, you don't have to stay overnight in the hospital, or deal with extensive healing time thanks to the procedure's minimally-invasive, outpatient nature. What does that mean in practical terns? Patients can show up on the morning for the procedure and return home hours later, resuming light to normal activities the next day.

Plus, with GAE, patients avoid surgical incisions, stitches, staples and general anesthesia. All you need is mild sedation to maintain calm and comfort during the procedure, thereby reducing the risk of surgical or post-surgical complications. And, you can undergo multiple GAE procedures, spaced by at least six months, so you can delay the need to undergo knee joint replacement surgery.

Still, that information doesn't reveal the success rate of genicular artery embolization. So here's what you've been waiting for. From clinical results, we can say that most patients enjoy up to six months of osteoarthritis relief following GAE. And newer research tells us that genicular artery embolization offers a success rate of 99.7%, making it an extremely effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Sound like an option worth exploring? Click here to request an appointment!Click here to request an appointment!Click here to request an appointment!

Genicular artery embolization, or GAE is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure that treats knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. In fact, many patients can delay or avoid knee replacements by undergoing GAE. And, while this procedure is new to the U.S. and Europe, it's been in practice for longer in Japan. And patient data from overseas indicates that GAE provides an effective way to treat joint pain.

Osteoarthritis and Knee Pain: What's the Connection?

About 13% of women and 10% of men over the age of 60 develop osteoarthritis. This disease attacks joint linings in many places, including your knees. In turn, people develop pain, inflammation, and even limits on mobility.

Some people can manage osteoarthritis pain with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. However, other patients only find relief with knee replacement surgery. But, there is a middle ground of patients who could benefit from a different treatment option. Sound like what you're looking for? Stick with us as we discuss genicular artery embolization.

Genicular Artery Embolization: What to Expect

This minimally invasive osteoarthritis treatment helps patients who don't find relief from conservative treatments. It also works if you prefer to avoid or aren't a good candidate for surgery. You see, during the GAE procedure, our interventional radiologists use a small catheter to inject microscopic beads into the leg arteries that supply your knee joint. This cuts the flow of blood to your synovium (also called your hypervascular joint lining.)

Afterward, you should experience immediate knee pain relief because the procedure relieves inflammation and thickening of the synovium, and that's the main source of osteoarthritis pain. Even better? This procedure could also prevent cartilage breakdown, helping to slow arthritic progression in your joint.

Who's a Good GAE Candidate?

Genicular artery embolization offers prolonged relief from joint pain. It can also help improve your ability to walk and navigate stairs, while reducing inflammation and slowing arthritis progression. Luckily, GAE is a minimally-invasive, outpatient procedure, meaning it comes with a shorter recovery period and allows you to avoid overnight hospital stays. As a result, most patients resume normal activities (with light restrictions) one day after GAE.

The New Alternative to Knee Replacement Surgery

The best candidates for GAE are patients who wish to avoid surgery, incisions, stitches, staples and general anesthesia. And guess what? Genicular artery embolization isn't a one-time relief option. As a result, if your knee pain returns after six months to a year, you can undergo another GAE procedure, once again delaying surgery and the progression of osteoarthritis.

Want to learn more about GAE, and see if this procedure can help you stay active while living with arthritis? Click here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointment with our Texas Knee Institute's interventional radiologists. Together, we'll determine if this is your best osteoarthritis treatment option.