Introduction:

OA is currently the fifth leading cause of adult disability, its prevalence increases from age 40. Viscosupplementation is a treatment for the early stages of knee OA.

Objective:

To compare efficacy and quality of life in patients with symptomatic gonartrosis, treated with high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid.

Material and methods:

Analytical, retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study of clinical records of patients diagnosed with grade II and grade III gonarthrosis, October 2017 to June 2018, treated with viscosupplementation with high molecular weight hyaluronic acid or low molecular weight; WOMAC quality of life and scale were analyzed prior to the first application and tracked at two, four and six months.

Results:

194 patients, aged between 30 to 87 years (promedio 61.85; SD = 11.3); 134 women (69.1%), 60 men (30.9%). In both groups the evolution was towards improvement, with a decrease in the WOMAC score, with no significant difference between groups. The WOMAC score had a minimum increase after 6 months of application in both groups, which is interpreted as decreasing the therapeutic effect. Two patients had localized minimal adverse reactions which were resolved with general measures.

Conclusion:

Hyaluronic acid in both presentations, high and low molecular weight, are effective in the treatment of symptomatic goonarthrosis without difference to molecular weight.