Ostinel Injections
(Sodium hyaluronate -hyaluronic acid)
What is sodium hyaluronate?
Sodium hyaluronate (also known as hyaluronic acid or hyaluronan) is a natural substance. It is present in the body wherever moisture is stored or lubrication between layers of tissue is required to eliminate friction.
Examples are the vitreous body of the eye itself, the tear film, the joint cartilage, the synovial fluid in the joints, all the mucuous membranes of the body, but also the basic substance of the skin which consists of up to 55% sodium hyaluronate.
Sodium hyaluronate takes on a variety of functions:
Storage: it absorbs and stores moisture in enormous quantities
Lubrication
Transport medium for nutrients
Filter for inflammatory molecules.
How does sodium
hyaluronate work?
Sodium hyaluronate is an essential component of the synovial fluid. It enables the fluid to act as a lubricant, a shock absorber and a filter controlling the movement of cells and large molecules within the joint.
The molecules look look like spaghetti under an electronic microscope, a dense interwoven structure that remains elastic and flexible in spite of its density.
Under gradual shear stress, sodium hyaluronate acts as a lubricant.
Under sudden loading, sodium hyaluronate acts as a shock absorber.
Sodium hyaluronate acts as a filter, hindering the movement of potentially damaging cells and molecules.
Benefits of Sodium Hyaluronate injections
It re-establishes a protective coating over the inner surface of the joint and increases the scavenging of free radicals, restoring its lubricating, shock-absorbing and filtering properties.
As a result of these changes, sodium hyaluronate reduces inflammation of the synovial membrane.
Evidence exists suggesting that exogenous hyaluronan may slow the destruction of cartilage.
Exogenous hyaluronan restores the ability of the joint to produce its own hyaluronan and thus returns it to a state of homeostasis (i.e. stable condition) that persists for several months.
FAQ’s
Where will I be injected?
If you decide to have treatment with OSTENIL®, OSTENIL® MINI, or OSTENIL® PLUS, it will be injected directly into the joint affected by osteoarthritis.
How many injections will I need?
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.
When will I feel the benefits?
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.
Can I repeat injections?
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.