EFFICACY OF HYALURONIC ACID VERSUS CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic joint disease associated with pain, functional limitation, andreduced quality of life. Among the treatment options used for symptom management are intra-articular injections of corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid, whose effects may differ in terms of onset and duration of benefit. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of these interventions through a literature review, considering pain relief, joint function, and quality of life. The research was conducted between July and October 2025 in the BVS and PubMed databases, using the descriptors Hyaluronic Acid, Adrenal Cortex Hormones, and Osteoarthritis, Knee. Articles published between 2015 and 2025 in Portuguese, English, or Spanish were considered, with priority given to systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized clinical trials. A total of 16 articles were included in the final sample. The results reported in the analyzed studies indicated greater pain relief with corticosteroids during the first few weeks, whereas hyaluronic acid showed the possibility of more prolonged benefits in subsequent assessments. However, a meta-analysis including 35 randomized clinical trials and 3,348 participants found no difference between the treatments in terms of function assessed using the WOMAC scale. Furthermore, the statistical superiority of hyaluronic acid for long-term pain relief did not reach clinical relevance, according to the authors. It is concluded that there is no consistent evidence of the clinical superiority of either intervention. Treatment selection should consider the patient's clinical profile, therapeutic goals, and expected duration of benefit. Further research is needed to clarify the comparative efficacy and safety of these interventions.