Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis) is a leading degenerative disease of the musculoskeletal system, associated with chronic pain, functional limitations, and significant deterioration in the quality of life. The lack of established disease‑modifying therapies necessitates the implementation of effective and safe symptomatic approaches. Along with the widely used intra‑articular injections of hyaluronic acid, over the past decade there has been growing interest in collagen therapies and combined methods for local delivery of bioactive substances.
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of collagen and collagen‑containing MD‑KNEE injections in patients with knee osteoarthritis, including the potential effect of their combined administration with magnetically‑mediated transdermal delivery, and to compare their therapeutic effect with that of intra‑articular hyaluronic acid in terms of pain, functional capacity, and quality of life.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective and prospective clinical analysis with observational and comparative elements was conducted, covering patients with gonarthrosis grade I–III according to Kellgren–Lawrence. The assessment of the therapeutic effect was performed using validated instruments for pain (VAS), functional capacity (Lequesne, WOMAC), and quality of life (SF‑36, EQ‑5D), as well as by analyzing the safety and tolerability of the applied therapies.
Results: Clinical trial data show that intra‑articular collagen injections, including MD‑KNEE, result in statistically and clinically significant pain reduction and functional capacity improvement in patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis. Their efficacy is comparable to that of hyaluronic acid, with no significant differences in key clinical outcomes. Both therapeutic approaches demonstrate a favorable safety profile, with rare and mild adverse events. Preclinical and limited clinical data suggest potential additional benefits of combining collagen therapies with magnetophoretic transdermal methods, but direct clinical evidence for this approach is lacking.
Conclusion: Collagen injections, including MD‑KNEE, represent a safe and effective alternative or adjunct to intra‑articular hyaluronic acid in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Despite promising results, larger, prospective, and long‑term randomized clinical trials are needed to definitively define optimal treatment regimens and to evaluate potential structure‑modifying effects, including when combined with magnetically‑mediated transdermal delivery.
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