You may have knee osteoarthritis if you experience one or more of the following common signs and symptoms:

• Joint soreness after overuse or inactivity

• Joint stiffness after resting or in the morning

• Pain when moving your knee

• Pain when using stairs or getting up from a chair

• Pain that prevents you from exercising your leg

• Grating or catching when moving your knee

• Joint pain that feels worse in the evening after a day’s activity

• Deterioration of coordination due to pain and stiffness

• Weakened thigh muscles

To help with your diagnosis and treatment, be sure to mention these signs and symptoms at each doctor’s appointment.

Osteoarthritis, or OA, refers to the breakdown, or degeneration, of cartilage and fluid that cushion and lubricate the bones in your joints. Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint, but osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common type.

In knee osteoarthritis, the hyaluronic acid (HA) in the synovial fluid in your knee joint becomes diluted and breaks down—reducing its natural properties. (11) This is associated with increased inflammatory processes that can degrade the cartilage in your knee. (11) The inflammation causes pain receptors to begin firing during normal movement. (11) The pain tends to cause knee osteoarthritis patients to limit movement, which in turn leads to further deterioration of joint structures and synovial fluid quality because movement is required for normal synovial homeostasis.

No, there are different classes of injectable therapies that may be used to treat osteoarthritis in your knee. For example, steroids (such as cortisone) may help relieve pain and swelling temporarily. Opioids, such as morphine, are a class of drug with a very strong analgesic (pain-killing) effect. On the other hand, viscosupplements like SUPARTZ FX are designed to replace the diseased synovial fluid in your knee joint, which provides cushioning and lubrication.

SUPARTZ FX, also called a viscosupplement, is a non-surgical, non-pharmacologic therapy for knee osteoarthritis. SUPARTZ FX can help relieve your knee pain, improve your mobility, and get you back to your normal activities.

• Proven pain relief across multiple clinical studies (12,13,15,16)

• As safe as saline in clinical studies (12,13,15,16)

• More than 300 million SUPARTZ FX injections administered

  worldwide (19)

• A flexible course of therapy, from 3 to 5 injections, so you only receive the number of shots that your doctor recommends

No additional drug or surgery is involved in treatment with SUPARTZ FX (other than a local anesthetic to numb your knee). You can schedule SUPARTZ FX treatments just as you would any other office visit. The whole procedure only takes a few minutes. Your doctor may advise you to avoid strenuous activities for a few days after your injections.

SUPARTZ FX treats knee osteoarthritis by temporarily replacing the diseased synovial fluid in your knee, which is an underlying cause of your pain. (11) Unlike oral analgesics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that affect all parts of your body, SUPARTZ FX specifically targets the osteoarthritis pain in your knee.

In clinical studies, adverse events were no more common following treatment with SUPARTZ FX than comparable treatment with saline placebo. (12,13) In fact, more people discontinued treatment with saline placebo than those who received SUPARTZ FX therapy. (12) Pseudoseptic (acute inflammatory) reactions have NOT been reported in 20 prospective randomized controlled trials of SUPARTZ FX.* (18)

SUPARTZ FX may be the right treatment for you if:

• Your knee pain is due to osteoarthritis

• You are not getting adequate osteoarthritis knee pain relief from walking and/or physical therapy

• You are not getting adequate osteoarthritis knee pain relief from pain medications, including:

  • Ibuprofen (e.g., Advil®)

  • Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol®)

  • Naproxen sodium (e.g., Aleve®)

SUPARTZ FX is covered by Medicare and many private insurance plans for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis pain. Private plan coverage may be determined prior to initiating SUPARTZ FX therapy by calling the plan directly.

Most patients experience little or no discomfort during the injection. (40) If you’re concerned about the injection, discuss with your physician ways to reduce any mild pain that may occur.