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CompletedNCT01185444Updated Aug 20, 2010

Efficacy of Three Weekly Injections of a Bacterial-- Sourced Hyaluronate on Pain and Function in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)

A Phase 2 interventional study of Hya-Joint and Hyalgan in Hyaluronate, Osteoarthritis and Knee, sponsored by Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital.. Completed at 1 site in Taiwan. Open to participants aged 40 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2010-08-20.

Sponsored by Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital. · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
89
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
40 Years to 80 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

Three weekly injections of hyaluronate (Hya-Joint) are safe and well tolerated, provide rapid pain relief as early as 1 and 2 weeks after the first injection, and improve function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The treatment effects can last for 6 months.

Read the detailed description

Background: Viscosupplementation with intra-articular hyaluronate injections is a safe and effective treatment of knee osteoarthritis. There are several forms of hyaluronate with different origin, method of production, molecular weight, dosing instructions and possibly clinical outcomes. Most current hyaluronate products are avian in origin, and only few are bioengineered via bacterial fermentation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 3 weekly injections of a bacterial-sourced hyaluronate (Hya-Joint) in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: As a prospective randomized observer-blind study done in a university-affiliated tertiary care medical center, patients with knee osteoarthritis for at least 6 months were enrolled. Eligible patients were randomized to receive three weekly intraarticular injections of either bacterial-sourced hyaluronate (Hya-Joint) or avian-derived hyaluronate (Hyalgan) into the target knee. The primary outcome was the visual analog scale (VAS) change from baseline for knee pain at 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures included Lequesne index, timed up and go test (TUG), patients' global satisfaction and analgesics consumption.

Results: A total of 95 participants were randomly assigned and 89 participants completed the study. Both groups had significant improvements in pain as early as 1 and 2 weeks after the first injection, and the pain-reduction effects could last for 6 months, with no between-group differences. The Lequesne index scores and results of TUG tests improved significantly from baseline in both group at all follow-up visits (p\<0.001 for each test compared with baseline), with no significant between-group differences at 1-month and 6-month follow-up. However, significantly greater improvements favoring the Hya-Joint group were noted at 3-month follow-up (p\<0.05). No between-group differences were seen regarding the use of analgesics. Both groups reported high satisfaction at 6-month follow-up. No serious adverse events occurred.

Conclusions: Three weekly injections of hyaluronate (Hya-Joint) are safe and well tolerated, provide rapid pain relief as early as 1 and 2 weeks after the first injection, and improve function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The treatment effects can last for 6 months.

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Conditions studied

  • Hyaluronate
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Knee

Keywords

  • Knee Balance
  • Hyaluronate
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Viscosupplementation
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In context

Osteoarthritis

4,399 studies on the registry are indexed under Osteoarthritis; 583 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 89 is above the median of 70 across 3,440 interventional studies indexed under Osteoarthritis.

Browse Osteoarthritis studies →

Lead sponsor

Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital. is the lead sponsor of 102 studies on the registry; 12 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
40 Years to 80 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • (1) age 40 years or older, presence of a primary knee OA with knee pain for at least 6 months despite conservative treatment (rest, physical therapy, orthoses or pain medications etc.); (2) had average pain on knee movement of at least 3 cm on a 10-cm VAS; (3) had a current Lequesne index score (described below) >7 (possible range, 0-24); (4) were willing to discontinue all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or other analgesic medication (except for rescue medication) for the duration of the study; and (5) were willing to not receive physical therapy or trial of shoe modifications or orthoses during the study period.

Exclusion Criteria:Exclusion criteria included previous orthopedic surgery on the spine or lower limbs, knee instability or marked deformity on examination, clinically apparent tense effusion of the knee, intra-articular steroid or HA injection in any joint within the past 6 months, and concomitant inflammatory arthropathy or other rheumatologic, neurological, cardiovascular or psychiatric disorders that would interfere with the clinical assessment during the study period.

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Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
89 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Hya-Joint

    The Hya-Joint group received 3 weekly intraarticular injections of 2 ml sodium hyaluronate (Hya-Joint, derived from Streptococcus zooepidemicus and produced by a highly purified biologic fermentation process, molecular weight 650-1200 kDa),into the target knee.

    Procedure: Hya-Joint

  • Active comparator
    Hyalgan

    the control group received 3 weekly intraarticular injections of 2 ml sodium hyaluronate (, extracted from chicken combs, molecular weight 500-730kDa) into the knee joints.

    Procedure: Hyalgan

Interventions

  • ProcedureHya-Joint

    The Hya-Joint group received 3 weekly intraarticular injections of 2 ml sodium hyaluronate (Hya-Joint, derived from Streptococcus zooepidemicus and produced by a highly purified biologic fermentation process, molecular weight 650-1200 kDa),into the target knee.

  • ProcedureHyalgan

    The control group received 3 weekly intraarticular injections of 2 ml sodium hyaluronate (Hyalgan, extracted from chicken combs, molecular weight 500-730kDa) into the knee joints.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. visual analog scale

    The patient rated the intensity of pain with regard to average pain on knee movement over the previous week using a 10-cm horizontal VAS (10-cm line; 0= no pain to 10= worst imaginable pain)

    Time frame: 6 months after the third injection

Secondary outcomes

  1. Lequesne index

    Lequesne index was used to assess severity of knee symptoms during the last week23. It is validated and includes the measurement of pain (5 items), walking distance (2 items), and activities of daily living (4 items). Maximal score is 24 and higher scores represent worse function

    Time frame: 6 months after the third injection

  2. Timed " Up-and-Go" test

    Timed " Up-and-Go" test (TUG) is a simple test of basic physical functional mobility for frail elderly persons with high interrater reliability and content reliability24. A patient is asked to rise from an armchair, walk 3 meters at a safe and comfortable pace, turn around, walk back to the chair, and sit down again. The whole procedure is demonstrated first before the actual test. The score is the time in seconds it takes to complete these tasks

    Time frame: 6 months after the third injection.

  3. the level of global satisfaction

    Patients were asked to rate the level of global satisfaction compared to their preinjection condition at each follow-up visit. The rating was based on a 7-point categorical scale weighted from completely satisfied, satisfied, somewhat satisfied, no change, somewhat dissatisfied, dissatisfied to completely dissatisfied.

    Time frame: 6 months after the third injection.

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Study locations

1 site
  • Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Veterans General Hospital,
    Kaohsiung, 813, Taiwan
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References and documents

Publications

  • Sun SF, Hsu CW, Hwang CW, Hsu PT, Wang JL, Tsai SL, Chou YJ, Hsu YW, Huang CM, Wang YL. Hyaluronate improves pain, physical function and balance in the geriatric osteoarthritic knee: a 6-month follow-up study using clinical tests. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2006 Jul;14(7):696-701. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2006.01.010. Epub 2006 Mar 6. PubMed 16520067 ↗
  • Adams ME, Atkinson MH, Lussier AJ, Schulz JI, Siminovitch KA, Wade JP, Zummer M. The role of viscosupplementation with hylan G-F 20 (Synvisc) in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a Canadian multicenter trial comparing hylan G-F 20 alone, hylan G-F 20 with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and NSAIDs alone. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 1995 Dec;3(4):213-25. doi: 10.1016/s1063-4584(05)80013-5. PubMed 8689457 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 20, 2010, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01185444
Lead sponsor
Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital.
First posted
Aug 20, 2010
Start date
Feb 2009
Primary completion
Dec 2009
Completion
Dec 2009
Last update
Aug 20, 2010

Study contacts

Shu-Fen Sun, MD
principal investigator · Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung;National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taiwan
Chien-Wei Hsu, MD
principal investigator · Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital
Hsien-Pin Sun, MD
principal investigator · Cheng Ching Hospital, Taiwan
Hung-Ju Li, MS
principal investigator · Institute of Statistics, National University of Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Jue-Long Wang, MD
principal investigator · Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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