GAE Knee Procedure Relieves Pain for 80% of 194 Arthritis Patients Over 12 Months
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 23
GAE Knee Procedure Relieves Pain for 80% of 194 Arthritis Patients Over 12 Months
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 23
Summary
A study of 194 knee osteoarthritis patients found 80% had clinically meaningful pain relief lasting at least 12 months after genicular artery embolization, a minimally invasive alternative to surgery.
GAE works by threading a catheter into vessels around the knee and releasing dissolvable gelatin particles that temporarily block excess blood flow, reducing inflammation and calming pain-signaling nerves.
Across 239 procedures, no severe complications were reported; 6.7% of patients had mild, self-resolving effects such as bruising or temporary skin discoloration, while mobility and quality-of-life scores improved.
The findings remain preliminary because the trial lacked a placebo-control group and followed patients for only one year; researchers said GAE does not restore cartilage or reverse joint damage.
Larger randomized trials are underway to test how durable the benefit is and whether repeat treatments could help fill the gap between pain drugs or steroid shots and total knee replacement.