OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical effect of sodium hyaluronate (SH) intra-articular injection in treatment of degenerative osteoarthritis (DOA) of knees. METHODS One hundred patients (116 knees) suffered from DOA were treated by SH injection intra-articularly once a week for three times. According to Lysholm scoring, clinical signs such as pain, swelling, excludes, range of movement (ROM), and the ability of walking, going upstairs and downstairs, squatting, running, were assessed before and after treatment. RESULTS Ninety-six cases were followed up for 1 to 6 months. There were obvious improvements in the signs and function of knee in 39 patients (40.6%), only some improvements in 48 patients (50.0%), and no obvious improvements in other 9 patients (9.4%). The total effectiveness rate was 74.0%. No toxic or side effect was observed. CONCLUSION Intraarticular injection of SH has a positive effect in relief of clinical symptoms and in improvement of articular function of DOA of knee.
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of sodium hyaluronate in supplementary treatment of comminuted fracture of ankle. METHODS Thirty-seven patients suffered from comminuted fracture of ankle were operated for restoration by routing methods, and received 2 ml of sodium hyaluronate injection intra-articularly before the closure of incision. The ankle was fixed and given the second intra-articular injection on the 3rd day after operation. Then, the patients were given sodium hyaluronate injection intra-articularly at a week intervals till the paste was removed after 4 weeks. All patients were followed up. The clinical results were evaluated by measuring the symptoms of pain, and the function of walking and other daily living activities. RESULTS All the patients were followed up for 6 to 27 months, among them, 30 patients were cured completely without any symptoms, the ankle function for walking and daily living activities was normal, 6 patients felt pain with violent activity or walking exceeding 1 km, one patient suffered from comminuted fracture with compressed depression was not improved due to his ankle being not restored properly. CONCLUSION Intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate is an effective supplementary treatment for comminuted fracture of ankle.