Osteoarthritis, a chronic, degenerative, and progressive condition, is the most common cause of chronic joint disorders. According to the World Health Organization, knee osteoarthritis affects over 365 million adults worldwide.

Most available therapies, such as pain medication and steroid injections, only mask the symptoms. They don't slow the progression of the disease. As osteoarthritis worsens and conservative treatments become ineffective, many people turn to joint replacement surgery.

"This study addresses osteoarthritis, which is a significant public health issue and the leading cause of chronic pain and disability worldwide," said the study's lead author, Florian Nima Fleckenstein from University Hospital Berlin in Germany.

"With millions of people affected by knee osteoarthritis, particularly in aging populations, finding effective, minimally invasive treatments is critical."

The presented treatment is called genicular artery embolization (GAE). The genicular arteries have several branches that form a network around the knee joint. These vessels are altered in patients suffering from osteoarthritis.

In GAE, an interventional radiologist injects small particles into selected branches that correspond to the site of knee pain to block blood flow to that area. Embolization of the abnormal blood vessels helps to disrupt the cycle of inflammation, cartilage destruction, and sensory nerve growth that characterizes osteoarthritis.

For the study, Dr. Fleckenstein and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of 403 cases from patients aged 40 to 90 with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis who didn't respond to conservative treatments. They were assessed with pain and quality of life scores, recorded at baseline and during follow-up visits at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year post-procedure.

No severe complications were reported and the quality-of-life index and pain score improved by 87% and 71% respectively at the end of 1 year.