Knees - getting mine lubricated

Friday 18th April I had both knees lubricated with Hyalgan (full name sodium hyaluronate). It's manufactured by Sanofi Aventis. I'm going to have 3 injections in each knee ( 6 syringes which in total will cost me $116 purchased via Medco). It would have been about 4 times more expensive via the Publix pharmacy.

In the image: A is the knee cap (patella); B is the shin bone (tibiae); C is the meniscus lateralis; D is the thigh bone (femur); The white stripes between the femur and the patella is cartilage and in my case this had been totally worn away after 40 years of running. In the spaces and invisible is synovial fluid which the injections will cause to become more effective as a lubricant.



The lubrication injections are, hopefully, close to the end of a year long attempt to get back to reasonably serious running. My knees have hurt after running for a long time but about a year ago they became just too painful. I tried physical therapy and while this was good to start with I ended up in more pain than I started with.

The next step was an anti-inflammatory: firstly, dichlofenac; then later, piroxicam. Dichlorfenac didn't seem to have much effect but piroxicam did. However my 'normal' doctor seemed to worry about prescribing piroxicam because people have ended up in the emergency room because of it. This didn't happen to me but I'm pleased to be able to stop taking it.

My knees also have osteoarthritis. The New York Times carried this nastily detailed report on what can happen to knees.

Hyalgan is made from the rooster combs on chickens. Luckily I have no chicken allergy. However nothing is without some side affects and I did suffer headaches after the lubrication injections - as about a third of people do.

Another 2 weeks to end of injections, then maybe a couple of months to full effectiveness.

I might just, be able to run the Peachtree 10K in Atlanta on July 4th.