Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) of knee joint is a chronic, progressive, and joint disabling disease, often resulting in a poor quality of life. Knee osteoarthritis often results in joint pain, stiffness, and decreased function. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has called for the development of new therapies to prevent and treat knee osteoarthritis. These include hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy, ozone, botulinum toxin, platelet-rich plasma, and hyaluronic acid. Materials and Methods: This prospective study enrolled patients from orthopaedic OPD who were given intra-articular hypertonic dextrose solution which was blinded by normal saline, at BRIMS Teaching Hospital, Bidar , Karnataka. Injections were given at 0, 4, and 8 weeks with additional session at 16 weeks. The primary outcome measure was change in knee-related quality-of-life as assessed by the composite score of Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Results: Of the 205 participants considered for inclusion in the study, 76 met eligibility criteria and were enrolled and divided into 2 groups containing 38 participants each. The study participants had a mean age of 63.2 years, 71% were female, 21% were overweight, and 46% were obese. Mean duration of knee pain was 8.9 years. Conclusion: According to our results, dextrose prolotherapy appears to be more effective for pain reduction and function improvement. More studies and better methodological quality are needed to establish a better level of evidence on the efficacy and safety of using dextrose prolotherapy in patients with knee OA.

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) of knee joint is a chronic, progressive, and joint disabling disease, often resulting in a poor quality of life. Knee osteoarthritis often results in joint pain, stiffness, and decreased function. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has called for the development of new therapies to prevent and treat knee osteoarthritis. These include hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy, ozone, botulinum toxin, platelet-rich plasma, and hyaluronic acid. Materials and Methods: This prospective study enrolled patients from orthopaedic OPD who were given intra-articular hypertonic dextrose solution which was blinded by normal saline, at BRIMS Teaching Hospital, Bidar , Karnataka. Injections were given at 0, 4, and 8 weeks with additional session at 16 weeks. The primary outcome measure was change in knee-related quality-of-life as assessed by the composite score of Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Results: Of the 205 participants considered for inclusion in the study, 76 met eligibility criteria and were enrolled and divided into 2 groups containing 38 participants each. The study participants had a mean age of 63.2 years, 71% were female, 21% were overweight, and 46% were obese. Mean duration of knee pain was 8.9 years. Conclusion: According to our results, dextrose prolotherapy appears to be more effective for pain reduction and function improvement. More studies and better methodological quality are needed to establish a better level of evidence on the efficacy and safety of using dextrose prolotherapy in patients with knee OA.