joint injections   

 Mr. Ryals can perform many types of injection to help a wide range and variety of complaints which may affect the foot.  All our injections are performed under local anaesthetic and with Ultrasound guidance.  Please watch our short video.
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 A joint Injection for Arthritis with none of the side effects of Steroid/Cortisone injections

What can Ostenil be used for?
Injection into joints for the relieve of pain from Osteoarthritis. Ostenil may be used in joints which are painful, stiff (have limited movement) and swollen. Examples being the big toe joint, the ankle and knee. Osteoarthritis is a disease which slowly erodes the joints this causes pain and a loss of function within the joint. Quality of life can be greatly diminished. By using Ostenil it is hoped that the function of the joint will be improved; this should aid mobility and decrease pain. Joints which have been injured from sports, surgery, accidents or simply the normal aging process can be treated and in the vast majority of times can be helped.

How is the Ostenil injected?
Normally a joint is simply injected with Ostenil. Sometimes an X-ray may be taken to determine or diagnose the severity of Arthritis. Patients can ask for a local anaesthetic to help minimise the pain of the Ostenil injection. The joint injection will take several minutes; in bad cases your Podiatrist may opt to inject your joint under X-ray guidance which can help improve the accuracy of the injection.

How much Ostenil is used?
Ostenil may be injected several times into the effected joint before a noticeable decrease in pain relief and joint mobility is seen. Several joints can be treated at the same time. The effectiveness of Ostenil treatment is usually affected by the severity of the joints disease; in severe cases no improvement may be seen. Repeat treatment cycles may be administered as required.

How does Ostenil work?
Ostenil attempts to mimic Hyaluronic Acid (HA) which is a natural substance found within most joints. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a natural polymer, which provides viscoelastic properties to the synovial fluid within your joints. In a normal joint it is highly concentrated at the surface coating of the cartilage on the ends of bones. In the synovial fluid, HA acts as a lubricant and a shock absorber, an energy storing agent between opposing cartilages. This helps to stop the onset of Osteoarthritis and its associated symptoms, joints which are affected with Arthritic changes cause the effectiveness of HA to decrease. This increases the mechanical loading of the joint and results in cartilage breakdown and therefore pain and restricted mobility of the affected joint. Treatment with Ostenil helps restore the normal balance within a joint this can improve the lubrication of the joint and its ability to absorb shock. This should help to increase joint mobility and decrease pain.

Is Ostenil like A Steroid Injection?
No, Ostenil is not a steroid and as such does not have the side effects associated.

How long does the pain relief last for?
There is no correct answer to this question as each patient is different. Pain relief may last for from 6 to 12 months and sometimes longer but it is dependent upon severity of arthritis.

Are There Any Side Effects Or Risks With This Treatment?
Ostenil may not help a joint. The causes of this are incorrect placement of the fluid within the joint or simply injecting an in appropriate amount of Ostenil within the joint, too little may not help the joint whilst too much may stiffen the joint.Ostenil is free from animal proteins which mean that there are virtually no side effects with this treatment. However an allergic reaction to Ostenil is a possibility further injection would be ceased immediately. Bleeding and haemorrhage into the joint can occur but this is usually down to conditions which affected the clotting of the blood or medication which thin the blood such as Warfarin or Aspirin. Careful patient screening is needed to filter out these possibilities. Infection can occur but this minimised by performing the injection under sterile conditions. Injections are not performed if a patient has an infection elsewhere. Occasionally a joint may become swollen and painful because of the injection of Ostenil, when this situation arises a joint may need draining and resting, sometimes patients may need to take anti-inflammatory medication to help with pain relief, and this can usually be overcome by simply using an ice-pack over the affected joint.