New Interventional Radiology Research Shows Merits of Genicular Artery Embolization for Knee OA
In a cohort of over 160 patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), including grade 4 in nearly half of the cases, genicular artery embolization led to an 87 percent improvement in the quality of life index, according to research presented at the recent RSNA conference.
For patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, genicular artery embolization (GAE) can have a significant impact on quality of life, according to new interventional radiology research.
For the retrospective study, presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference, researchers evaluated the use of GAE in 167 patients (median age of 69) with moderate to severe knee OA. The study authors noted that 47 percent of the cohort had grade 4 knee OA and 41 percent had grade 3 disease.
The researchers noted that digital subtraction angiography was utilized to identify embolization target vessels in correlation with reported sites of pain from patients.
Here one can see images showing the descending genicular artery in a patient with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. The pre-embolization imaging (left) reveals a hyperemic blush (red box) while the post-embolization imaging shows complete elimination of the hyperemic blush. (Images courtesy of RSNA.)
Utilizing the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), the study authors found an 87 percent improvement in quality of life at six months and a corresponding 71 percent increase in the visual analog scale (VAS). While the researchers acknowledged mild transient skin discoloration and knee pain after GAE, there were no severe complications.
"Our study found that GAE can effectively reduce knee pain and improve quality of life early after the treatment, with these benefits being maintained over the long term, especially for people who haven't had success with other treatments like physical therapy or pain medications," noted lead study author Florian Nima Fleckenstein, M.D., an interventional radiologist affiliated with the Charite — University Hospital Berlin in Germany. "This could potentially offer a new lease on life for many patients who suffer from debilitating pain and mobility issues, caused by osteoarthritis."
(Editor’s note: For additional coverage from the RSNA conference, click here.)
Conceding a lack of large-scale studies on the use of GAE, the study authors maintained that GAE is a viable non-invasive option that can facilitate lower complications and costs while enhancing quality of life.
“GAE has the potential to reduce the need for more invasive surgeries, lower health care costs and significantly improve the quality of life for countless individuals suffering from knee osteoarthritis," emphasized Dr. Fleckenstein.
Reference
1. Fleckenstein FN, Auer TA, Hamm B, Gebauer B, Collettini F. Genicular artery embolization for the treatment of symptomatic knee OA: a comprehensive analysis of 167 patients. Poster to be presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2024 110th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting Dec. 1-5, 2024. Available at: https://www.rsna.org/annual-meeting .
Newsletter
Stay at the forefront of radiology with the Diagnostic Imaging newsletter, delivering the latest news, clinical insights, and imaging advancements for today’s radiologists.
The Reading Room: Artificial Intelligence: What RSNA 2020 Offered, and What 2021 Could Bring
August 5th 2025Nina Kottler, M.D., chief medical officer of AI at Radiology Partners, discusses, during RSNA 2020, what new developments the annual meeting provided about these technologies, sessions to access, and what to expect in the coming year.
SNMMI: Can 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT Bolster Detection of PCa Recurrence in the Prostate Bed?
August 5th 2025In an ongoing prospective study of patients with biochemical recurrence of PCa and an initial negative PSMA PET/CT, preliminary findings revealed positive 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT scans in over 54 percent of the cohort, according to a recent poster presentation at the SNMMI conference.
RSNA 2020: Addressing Healthcare Disparities and Access to Care
August 5th 2025Rich Heller, M.D., with Radiology Partners, and Lucy Spalluto, M.D., with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, discuss the highlights of their RSNA 2020 session on health disparities, focusing on the underlying factors and challenges radiologists face to providing greater access to care.
SNMMI: What a New Meta-Analysis Reveals About Radiotracers for PET/CT Detection of PCa
August 5th 2025While (68Ga)Ga-PSMA-11 offers a pooled sensitivity rate of 92 percent for prostate cancer, (18F)-based radiotracers may offer enhanced lesion detection as well as improved imaging flexibility, according to a meta-analysis presented at the Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) conference.
