Subchondral Bone Injections for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis.

Rodriguez-Merchan, E Carlos · Arch Bone Jt Surg · 2026

case_series · Level IV

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Abstract

The existing literature on whether subchondral bone injections in knee osteoarthritis is advisable for relieving patient pain is minimal and the level of evidence is low. A recent case series (2023) analyzed 30 individuals with knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence 2-3). It showed that combined intraarticular and subchondral BMAC (bone marrow aspirate concentrate injections) provided clinical and imaging benefits up to 24 months for the treatment of symptomatic knee OA, with a low failure rate, and a significant reduction of bone marrow edema. Besides, VAS (visual analog scale) pain worsened at the final follow-up, although remained lower compared to the baseline value. Although some studies mention that subchondral bone injections can relieve pain in mild/moderate knee OA, it does not seem reasonable to advise it until better-designed research can confirm the preliminary studies discussed in this article.