Retrospective evaluation of the efficacy of ultrasound-guided intra-articular hyaluronic-acid-based injections (Hyalubrix) in patients with glenohumeral osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE

Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) have been reported to alleviate pain, reduce disability, and improve joint function in glenohumeral osteoarthritis (GH-OA). This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a HA-based formulation (Hyalubrix®) in reducing the pain of patients with GH-OA and improving both patient's shoulder functions and quality of life (QoL).

METHODS

Data collected during the standard clinical practice of the center was retrospectively analyzed. The Simple Shoulder Test (SST) questionnaire reported data on the patient's ability to perform daily activities; the Euro-Quality of Life Health Assessment (EQ-5D) collected evidence on QoL; and changes in pain were evaluated through the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). SST and EQ-5D scores were analyzed comparing baseline values with those at the last follow-up, while VAS was investigated for all the available visits. Continuous values were summarized as mean ± standard deviation, median, and 25-75th percentiles. The Shapiro-Wilk test assessed normality, with significance set at p<0.05, and no adjustments for multiple comparisons were made.

RESULTS

All scores showed a significant improvement: VAS decreased from 55.4±13.8 to 16.2±16.3 (p<0.001), the SST increased from 38.0 to 65.5 (p<0.001), as did the EQ-5D (from 41.7 to 76.7; p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

GH-OA treatment with Hyalubrix® proved to be highly beneficial, leading to complete pain reduction in more than 50% of patients and a significant reduction in 27.5% of cases. This resulted in improved joint function and QoL.