Osteoarthritis of The Knee The Problem: Osteoarthritis knee pain. . .   What is osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee?   OA of the knee is a disease in which the knee joint gradually deteriorates in the following ways: Cartilage at ends of bones that form knee joint begins to wear away Thick fluid, called synovial (sin-OH-vee-ul) fluid, that surrounds the knee joint becomes thinner and loses its ability to cushion and lubricate the joint What are the common symptons of OA of the knee? Symptions of OA of the knee typically include one or more of the following: Joint pain Stiffness, with limited ability to move joint Swelling and tenderness around joint What can cause OA of the knee? The most common causes of OA of the knee include: Advancing age Wear and tear on joint over many years Injury to your joint (either old or recent) Excessive weight (based on your height, body frame, and other factors) Genetic factors (a history of OA in your family) Gender (affects females [65%] more than males [35%]) How is OA of the knee generally treated?   There are numberous ways to treat OA of the knee, depending on the severity of the disease when you doctor first diagnoses it.   Treatments Include: Over-the-counter medications for pain Aspirin Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) Ibuprofen (Advil®) Naproxen (Aleve®) Topical pain medications Prescription medications for pain Assistive devices such as canes or braces Heat or cold application Exercise Weight loss Physical Therapy Cortisone (steriod) injections Hyaluronan (hi-al-yur-ON-an) injections (see next section) Total knee-replacement surgery or partial knee-replacement surgery. What is hyaluronan?   Hyaluronan, also called hyaluronic acid (HA), is a natural substance found in the joint fluid that surrounds a healthy knee joint. HA helps custion, lubricate, and protect the knee as you move throughout the day.   What is EUFLEXXA? How does it work?   EUFLEXXA is an ultra-high purity HA preparation developed to be similar to natural human HA found in the synovial fluid of a healthy knee joint. EUFLEXXA works by replenishing the HA surrounding the knee joint and restoring the synovial fluid's ability to custion, lubricate, and protect the joint. The solution: The pure relief of EUFLEXXA™     What is different about EUFLEXXA™?   EUFLEXXA™ is the first and only US-approved bioengineered (fermentation-derived)* HA for the treatment of the pain of knee OA. Unlike all other HA products currently on the market for the pain of knee OA, EUFLEXXA™ is not made from processed chicken or rooster combs. In fact, EUFLEXXA™ is FREE of any animal proteins, so the chance of an allergic response in people sensitive to poultry products (including eggs and feathers) is eliminated. This means if you are allergic to eggs or poultry products, EUFLEXXA™ is theoption for you. EUFLEXXA™ is also different because it requires only 3 once-weekly injections (instead of 5 with some other HA products).