How Genicular Artery Embolization Might Be the Answer to Your Knee Pain

If you have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee, and your pain keeps getting worse, it might be time to seek out a specialist instead of continuing to pop over-the-counter pain pills and hope tomorrow is a good day instead of a bad one.

At Apex Endovascular in Fort Collins, Colorado, Dr. Shawn Ahmed and his team perform genicular artery embolization to deliver lasting relief from knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. Here’s what you need to know.

Osteoarthritis of the knee

Knee osteoarthritis (OA), which is a type of degenerative joint disease, is common in older adults and those who have suffered a knee injury. OA in the knee is usually caused simply by wear-and-tear in the knee joint that comes with advancing age, and progressive loss of articular cartilage. 

Osteoarthritis gets worse over time and can eventually lead to loss of mobility and chronic pain. Symptoms of knee OA include:

• Knee pain that’s mild at the start of the day and worsens with activity
• Knee stiffness and swelling
• Knee pain after prolonged sitting or resting
• Overall knee pain that worsens over time

The common approach to osteoarthritic knee pain is to start with the most conservative methods available, and progress, if needed, to minimally invasive or surgical treatment options. Every case is different, and your best option is to seek care from a specialist before the pain becomes so bad you’re immobilized.

Genicular artery embolization

Genicular artery embolization (GAE) is a minimally invasive intervention for knee OA. Dr. Ahmed uses it when more conservative treatments have failed but surgery isn’t indicated. GAE involves catheterization of the genicular arteries supplying the synovial lining of the knee.

Dr. Ahmed offers conscious sedation, which lets you stay awake but completely relaxed and unworried during your procedure. He makes a tiny puncture in your upper thigh or ankle, and threads a fine catheter from that point to the area of your knee needing treatment.

The next step is injecting small particles that reduce blood flow to the blood vessels around your knee joint. GAE treats knee OA pain by reducing synovial blood flow, which is hypothesized to reduce knee pain related to inflammation. You’ll notice results within a few weeks, and they can last up to one or two years after treatment.  

If you have OA knee pain and it hasn’t responded to conservative treatments, but you aren’t ready to consider a knee replacement, GAE could be the right treatment for you. To learn more and schedule a consultation with Dr. Ahmed, call 970-508-8439, or book online using our convenient interactive system.