Research revealed for World Arthritis Day suggests a quarter of the Brits puts off seeing their GP for painful joint pain despite it ranking as their biggest health concern

Almost half of British adults think that mobility issues caused by joint paint is their biggest physical health concern when it comes to growing old. Yet one in 3 (36%) said the likelihood of surgery and current pressures on the NHS (26%) would deter them from seeking any medical advice even if it was causing them regular discomfort, consumer research reveals¹.

Over a quarter of people (27%) surveyed said they would put up with knee and joint pain for over five months before seeing their GP, with the majority (82%) dismissing the condition as just “an inevitable part of getting old”.

Half (50%) said that joint and knee pain had prevented them from taking part in sport or physical activity of any kind over a 12-month period. And 68% said they would be concerned about using painkillers on a long-term basis to help manage conditions that was causing chronic joint pain.

The research was commissioned by Contura Orthopaedics Ltd, which – over the past year– has successfully introduced a novel injectable treatment for knee osteoarthritis into a growing number of clinics across the UK and Europe – with impressive results being reported by patients.

Developed using therapeutic hydrogels, Arthrosamid®, offers an alternative to current therapies and fulfils an unmet clinical need for an effective, long acting, safe and minimally invasive treatment to alleviate pain associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA), negating the need for invasive knee replacement surgery.

And exciting new data presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society International (OARSI) 2022 World Congress, showed that a single injection of Arthrosamid® continued to be well tolerated and demonstrated clinically relevant and statistically significant effectiveness in reducing pain, at 2 years after treatment.²

Discussing the findings of the consumer poll, Mr. Sean Curry, Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon at The London Orthopaedic Clinic at King Edward VII, says; “It’s shocking – although perhaps not surprising - to see from this survey just how many patients are putting off visiting their GP for joint pain despite it affecting their quality of life and making everyday activities challenging.

“Yes, joint pain caused by osteoarthritis and general ‘wear and tear’ is a part of growing old, but the good news is, there are now so many options to treat and manage the condition to allow patients to continue a healthy and active lifestyle in later life – and now with this ground-breaking new product, without the need for surgery.”

The treatment has the potential to change the present care pathway for managing OA, which affects approximately 8.5 million people in the UK³ and despite a large suffering population, there has been very little innovation in the range of OA treatments on offer to meaningfully help patients – until now. Arthrosamid® is injected into the joint space to cushion the knee and relieve pain in one single treatment4. Patients can expect to see improved mobility and pain relief within days.

Mr. Curry goes on to explain,

“Despite OA being the most common type of arthritis and the fastest growing disability worldwide, scientific progress in this area has been slow – and until now, treatment options have been limited. This novel injection enables us to offer patients a treatment which not only provides swift relief for their symptoms but may also delay or obviate the need for more invasive partial or full knee replacement surgery further down the line.”

The patient perspective:

Dr Jack Edmonds was one of the first patients in the UK to be treated with the single injection hydrogel, Arthrosamid® to help ease the pain caused by knee osteoarthritis. Dr. Edmonds had spent much of his life and leisure time involved with the fast-paced and often very intense game of hockey – playing at a high level for many years and continuing to represent local Clubs in Kent and South-East London well into his 60s.

Decades of putting pressure on ‘bent knees’ (with sharp turns and sudden sprints up and down the pitch, combined with a life-long love of skiing) had started to take its toll on Jack’s joint and the pain began to affect his ability to play hockey, as well as having an increasing impact on everyday activities, such as walking the dog or climbing up and down the stairs.

“One of the main reasons that finally prompted me to explore treatments as a matter of priority, was an overwhelming desire to cut down on use of over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory medication”, explains Dr Jack. “Although I’m very aware this is often the only option available to many people suffering with the pain caused by osteoarthritis in their knees.”

Earlier this year, Professor Paul Lee, a sports and orthopaedic surgeon from MSK Doctors, treated Jack at his London clinic. He comments;

“In my practice, I’m passionate about utilising evidenced based methods with advanced technology – and Arthrosamid® certainly fits into this novel treatment model. Knee osteoarthritis can have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life, causing discomfort which can make everyday activities challenging. However, many people are reluctant to undergo invasive surgery with the intensive recovery required.

“I was pleased that Jack had confidence in the procedure and understood the benefits it can bring to patients who are seeking solutions for persistent pain in their knee joints, many of whom – like Jack – will have incurred ‘wear and tear’ and injury having played competitive sport from a young age. This treatment really can provide long acting and sustained pain relief. I’m delighted with Jack’s recovery and the improvements he’s reported including, in his words, much less reliance on anti-inflammatory medication.”

ends

For further media information or to interview a patient or consultant, please contact Jo Hudson or Tracey Thompson at Trinity PR on 020 7112 4905 / 0770 948 7960 or email jo.hudson@trinitypr.co.uk / tracey.thompson@trinitypr.co.uk

Mode of Action

Once injected into the intra-articular cavity, Arthrosamid® integrates into the synovial tissue of the inner joint capsule and thickens the synovial membrane⁴. The non-absorbable, non-biodegradable and non-migratory characteristics of Arthrosamid® provide durable cushioning of the inner capsular tissue^6,7, thereby reducing pain, decreasing joint stiffness, and improving function of the knee affected by OA^6,7.

Unlike other types of intra-articular injections, such as hyalurons, which solely function as visco-supplements, Arthrosamid® is physically different as it becomes an integrated part of the soft synovial tissue in the joint capsule⁵ and is therefore expected to exert its effect for a substantially longer time than older generation OA viscosupplement treatment.

References:

^{1. Survey of 2,005 UK adults by Atomik Research commissioned by Contura International}

^{2. Bliddal H, A, Beier J, Hartkopp Conaghan PG, et al. (2022) A Prospective study of Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Injection for Knee Osteoarthritis: Results from 2 years after treatment. Poster presented at OARSI 2022}

^{3. NICE Osteoarthritis: care and management}

^{4. Christensen, L., Camitz, L., Illigen, K.E., Hansen, M., Sarvaa, R., Conaghan, P.G., 2016. Synovial incorporation of polyacrylamide hydrogel after injection into normal and osteoarthritic animal joints. Osteoarthritis and cartilage / OARS, Osteoarthritis Research Society 24, 1999-2002.}

^{5. Christensen, L., Daugaard, S., 2016. Histological Appearance of the Synovial Membrane after Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis with Polyacrylamide Gel Injections: A Case Report. Journal of Arthritis 5, 217.}

^{6. Henriksen M, Overgaard A, Hartkopp A, Bliddal H. Intra-articular 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: an observational proof-of-concept cohort study. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2018 Nov-Dec;36(6):1082-1085. Epub 2018 Jul 18. PMID: 30148430.}

^{7. Tnibar A, Schougaard H, Camitz L, Rasmussen J, Koene M, Jahn W, Markussen B. An international multi-centre prospective study on the efficacy of an intraarticular polyacrylamide hydrogel in horses with osteoarthritis: a 24 months follow-up. Acta Vet Scand. 2015 Apr 15;57(1):20. doi: 10.1186/s13028-015-0110-6.}

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