A minimally invasive procedure that temporarily blocks extra blood vessels in the knee produced lasting pain relief for 80% of patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to a new clinical study of 194 people.
The treatment, called genicular artery embolization (GAE), does not involve surgery or implants. Researchers found that patients who received it reported significant reductions in knee pain that held up for at least a full year afterward.
The results point to a possible option for the large number of adults with chronic knee pain who have already tried pain medications or steroid injections, but who want to avoid a total knee replacement.
How the Procedure Works
Osteoarthritis breaks down cartilage in the joint and prompts the body to grow extra, unnecessary blood vessels around the knee, according to the Mayo Clinic. Those additional vessels increase inflammation and irritate nearby nerves, which makes everyday movement more painful.
GAE targets that process directly. Using real-time X-ray guidance, doctors thread a thin, flexible tube into the blood vessels around the knee and release tiny, dissolvable gelatin particles into specific vessels to slow blood flow to the inflamed tissue. That reduces inflammation and calms the nerves that sense pain, without major surgery.
Because the particles are gelatin-based and dissolve over time, the procedure leaves no permanent material in the body. Researchers say that could make it a repeatable, low-risk way for patients to manage pain and stay active over time.
“For many patients with knee osteoarthritis, there is a real treatment gap today,” said Florian Nima Fleckenstein, M.D., deputy head of Interventional Radiology Campus Mitte at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin. “Our study demonstrates that GAE using rapidly resorbable gelatin-based microspheres is a safe, minimally invasive therapy that provides meaningful pain relief and functional improvement in participants with osteoarthritis-related knee symptoms for at least 12 months.”
Few Side Effects Reported
Across 239 total procedures performed on the 194 study participants, none experienced severe complications. Only 6.7% reported mild side effects, such as temporary skin discoloration or minor bruising, which resolved on their own.
“In our cohort, we saw a significant drop in pain and a significant increase in function, including sports and recreation and daily activity,” Fleckenstein said. “Most importantly, their quality of life significantly increased.”
Beyond reduced pain, participants reported easier walking, stair climbing and bending. Overall quality-of-life scores more than doubled over the 12-month follow-up period.
Limitations of the Study
Researchers acknowledged several caveats. The study did not include a control group that received a mock or placebo procedure, making it difficult to separate the physical effects of the treatment from any placebo response.
The study also only followed patients for one year, so it remains unclear how long the relief lasts or whether repeat treatments will eventually be needed.
Researchers also stressed that GAE is not a cure. It reduces inflammation and pain but does not rebuild lost cartilage or reverse structural damage to the joint. Larger, randomized trials are now underway to confirm these early findings.
