Danger of abusing knee injections to relieve pain and rejuvenate

People with knee joint disease were advertised to inject platelet-rich plasma to help rejuvenate their knee joints. However, many people lost money and suffered from increased pain, redness, and difficulty walking after the injection.

Recently, doctors at the Department of Orthopedics, Thai Nguyen Central Hospital received and treated two patients who had reactions after being injected with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from a private medical facility.

Illustration photo

Mrs. NTB (71 years old) and Mrs. TTĐ (78 years old), both residing in Thai Nguyen , both had degenerative knee disease. When they came to a facility specializing in oriental medicine and physical therapy, they were advised to inject platelet-rich plasma to help rejuvenate the knee joints, ensuring that they could be cured within 7 or 8 years.

They decided to undergo a course of 5 injections, but after the third injection, both women's knee joints became more painful, swollen, red, and hot, making it difficult to walk. The private clinic prescribed painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs for both patients, but the pain did not subside.

At the Department of Orthopedics, Thai Nguyen Central Hospital, the test results showed that the knee joint fluid was acute inflammation, the number of white blood cells in the joint fluid increased, along with increased inflammation indicators in the blood. Both women were prescribed antibiotics combined with intravenous infusion, pain relief, and anti-inflammation.

After about 10 days of active treatment, the inflammation, swelling and pain in both knee joints and the ability to walk and move of the two patients improved, and inflammation indicators in the blood decreased significantly.

MSc. Ha Thi Thanh Tam, Department of Musculoskeletal, Thai Nguyen General Hospital said that there are currently many private facilities advertising the treatment of knee osteoarthritis by injecting platelet-rich plasma to help relieve pain quickly, with a commitment to a 100% cure.

However, joint diseases in general are mostly caused by degeneration, treatment requires perseverance, following the correct regimen. Therefore, when people have joint pain, have unusual symptoms, they need to go to reputable medical facilities for examination and treatment.

According to doctors, knee injections have the effect of reducing pain, reducing inflammation and improving joint mobility in the treatment of diseases. Commonly used drugs in knee injections are corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, and platelet-rich plasma.

In addition, the technique can be performed to drain the inflammatory fluid from the knee joint to limit the swelling and pain. However, this method also has many potential risks if not prescribed and performed at a reputable medical facility by specialized doctors.

Complications of joint injection or joint aspiration are divided into two main groups: infectious and non-infectious.

Among them, septic arthritis or soft tissue abscess around the joint due to the procedure is the most dangerous complication that can lead to joint infection, even sepsis, pericarditis, septic shock. The treatment process is complicated, the cost is very expensive and the patient's health is extremely seriously affected.

According to medical specialists, knee injections are often prescribed for cases of knee osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis causing joint damage, post-traumatic knee arthritis, etc.

This treatment is contraindicated in infectious knee arthritis; skin infections around the knee joint, fungal infections; immunodeficiency.

Intra-articular injection procedures are quite complicated and carry a high risk of joint infection. If abused and injected incorrectly, it can lead to serious complications.

Therefore, intra-articular injections should be prescribed with caution, considering the benefits and harms, and should be prescribed and performed by an experienced orthopedic specialist in a completely sterile clinic.

According to experts, the knee joint is formed by the contact between the femoral condyle and the tibial plateau. The stability of the knee joint is of two types: Active stability is ensured by the muscle-tendon structure and passive stability is achieved through the ligament system and joint capsule.

The knee ligament system includes two cruciate ligaments, the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, the medial collateral ligament, the posteromedial collateral ligament, the lateral collateral ligaments, and the posterolateral collateral ligaments.

Multiple ligament injuries to the knee are often caused by trauma that causes dislocations that lead to ligament ruptures. Injuries to these ligaments greatly affect the stability of the knee joint. Surgery is required to treat these injuries.

Statistics at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases show that from 2023 to present, there have been many patients who have undergone arthroscopic knee surgery, of which 80% were due to trauma causing ligament rupture and meniscal damage...

100% of the patients who underwent surgery had good results, of which over 90% were patients with anterior cruciate ligament rupture, the remaining less than 10% were patients with meniscus injury and some cases had both anterior and posterior cruciate ligament rupture.

With an annual incidence of traumatic injury of approximately 3.5/1000 people, knee injury is the most common injury in trauma.

Knee injuries are diverse and complex. Although the incidence of knee injuries is very high, the injuries are very diverse, ranging from mild to severe.

There are many patients with mild knee injuries, but after the injury they can still move around, leading to subjectivity. The disease gradually becomes more severe until they are examined and treated, but the disease is already in a late stage.

Besides injuries, knee joint diseases also occur in the elderly with diseases such as knee osteoarthritis, synovitis, inflammation of the knee ligament system...

Each stage of the disease has certain treatment indications. Therefore, when there is a problem with trauma, people should not be subjective but must visit a doctor for timely treatment.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/gap-hoa-khi-lam-dung-tiem-khop-goi-nham-giam-dau-tre-hoa-d227155.html