ALPHA-STIM

What is Osteoarthritis?

• Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that causes pain and loss of mobility or joint function. It can greatly diminish the quality of life of sufferers.
• Osteoarthritis is the most common rheumatic disease and is second only to cardiovascular disease in producing chronic disability.
• Osteoarthritis is not a passive ‘wear and tear’ phenomenon, as was believed until recently. It is an active disease with a complex underlying pathology.

Three stages of osteoarthritis

1. 1. A slight stiffness after lying down or sitting down for a while is often the first indication of osteoarthritis, but this stiffness vanishes soon after the joints are being used and one gets moving again.
   2. As osteoarthritis progresses, these joint movements will become increasingly and continually painful. There may be a gritty sensation in the joint; the function of the joint is impaired and one can experience a reduced range of movement.
   3. The last stage of joint degeneration is when the joints are painful even when resting which may adversely affect sleep at night. At each of the stages of osteoarthritis there may also be inflammation and swellings present in the joint.

Some other factors may accelerate the natural wear and tear of the joints:

• being overweight
• inflammation
• incorrect joint alignment
• sporting activities with a higher rate of injury
• working conditions requiring lifting and carrying of heavy loads
• inactivity due to joint resting or life style choices

Which joints can be affected?
Basically all synovial joints of the body can become arthritic. Particularly frequent and painful are arthritic problems in the larger joints such as:

• Knee joint
• Hip joint
• Shoulder joint

Arthritis can also affect smaller joints and impinge upon the quality of life:

• Saddle joint (thumb joint)
• All other finger joints
• Toe joints (particularly the large toe)
• Facet joints of the spine

Other places of potential problems:

• Elbow joint
• Ankle joints

In order to understand how these problems develop it is helpful to familiarise yourself with the joint structure.

Joints affected by osteoarthritis typically have lower concentrations of hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid, the thick liquid that helps cushion and lubricate the joint. As a result, the synovial fluid in osteoarthritic joints has lower viscosity and elasticity than healthy synovial fluid, decreasing its ability to lubricate the joint and absorb shocks.

What is OSTENIL^®, and how does it work?
OSTENIL® is a treatment for the symptoms of osteoarthritis. It can be used in the knee, or in any of the other joints in the body that are classified as ‘synovial’

How does OSTENIL^® work?
It is injected into the space in the joint that contains synovial fluid and works by restoring the normal balance between the breakdown and production of sodium hyaluronate. This procedure is known as ‘viscosupplementation’, and the effect of OSTENIL® means that it can decrease pain and stiffness and improve the other symptoms of osteoarthritis.

The sodium hyaluronate in OSTENIL® is very pure and is manufactured using a process called fermentation. It contains no animal proteins, which means that it is very unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. OSTENIL® has been given to thousands of patients and has not been found to cause any serious side effects. The exact make-up of the sodium hyaluronate in OSTENIL® has been carefully chosen so that it is as effective as possible in treating osteoarthritis.

What can I expect if I decide to have treatment with OSTENIL^®?
If you decide to have treatment with OSTENIL®, OSTENIL® MINI, or OSTENIL® PLUS, it will be injected directly into the joint affected by osteoarthritis.

OSTENIL®: Once a week for 3 weeks until you have had 3 injections.
OSTENIL® MINI: Once a week for a total of 1-3 injections.
OSTENIL® PLUS: This requires just one injection.

You will probably not notice any benefits immediately after the first injection, but you should gradually start to feel less pain and stiffness over the next few weeks.  The improvement in your symptoms is likely to persist for several months, depending on the progression of the degenerative change in the joint being treated.

When the effects of your OSTENIL® injections begin to wear off, you can safely choose to have another injection if your clinician agrees it is appropriate. Thereafter, you can continue with OSTENIL® therapy whenever necessary.

How much does the injection cost?

• Assessment and Ostinel Plus injection £190 per joint: £300 for 2 joints
• Assessment and 3 Ostinel injections = £300