Manage the symptoms
Cushions
Arthrosamid®
A single hydrogel injection that cushions the knee from the inside and stays there. Designed for relief measured in years, not months.
- From
- £2,400To confirm
- How long it lasts
- Several years from one injection
- What is left behind
- Stays in the joint, not absorbed
Where it sits
Arthrosamid sits in the manage the symptoms half of what we offer.
Treats how the joint feels. The surface itself is left as it is. Across the spectrum of wear, it may be considered from early wear to bone on bone.
Acting early suits it well. At bone on bone it eases pain but changes nothing structurally.
What it is
What it is
Arthrosamid is a polyacrylamide hydrogel: around 97.5 per cent water, held in a soft synthetic structure. It is injected once into the knee joint.
Rather than being absorbed like most injections, it integrates with the joint lining, the synovial membrane, forming a soft cushioning layer on the inside of the joint. That layer both cushions the worn surfaces and appears to settle the inflammation of the lining that drives much of the pain.
It is non-resorbable, which is the point. It does not wash out over months the way a lubricant does.
What it aims to do
What it does
- Cushions the joint from the inside, reducing pain on load
- Calms the inflamed joint lining
- Aims to last years from a single injection
What it does not do
- It does not rebuild cartilage or repair the joint surface
- It does not reverse osteoarthritis
- It cannot be removed once given, because it is not absorbed
Who it may suit
Who may be considered
- Knee osteoarthritis, from early wear through to a severely worn joint
- People who want relief without repeating injections every few months
- People whose joint flares, feels hot or swells, where settling the lining matters
- People who have been offered a knee replacement but are not ready for it
None of this replaces an assessment. Suitability is confirmed on examination and imaging, never from a web page.
When another fits better
When something else is the better answer
Hyaluronic acid
If you would rather start with the least invasive and least expensive option, and are comfortable repeating it.
ChondroFiller Injection
If your goal is to support the worn surface rather than to cushion around it. The two are sometimes used together.
A joint replacement
If the joint is severely worn and the aim is to fix it rather than manage it, replacement remains the more definitive answer and deserves a proper discussion.
The procedure
How it is done
- 01
Assessment
A doctor examines the knee and reviews your imaging. Because Arthrosamid stays in the joint, being sure it is the right choice matters more than usual.
- 02
Preparation
An outpatient appointment with no fasting and no general anaesthetic. Any excess fluid on the knee may be drawn off first.
- 03
The injection
A single injection into the knee joint, placed under ultrasound guidance so the hydrogel reaches the joint space accurately.
- 04
Straight afterwards
You walk out the same day. Light activity for the first 48 hours, then building back up.
Antibiotic cover is provided before treatment as part of the clinic infection-prevention protocol, alongside sterile technique.
Recovery
Recovery and what to expect
Take it easy on the knee for the first 48 hours. Most people are back to full normal activity within a week.
Relief builds over weeks rather than arriving overnight. Some people notice a change in the first fortnight; for others it takes a couple of months to settle in properly.
Where it works, benefit is reported to last several years from that single injection. A follow-up review is included so the response can be checked properly rather than guessed at.
Risks
Risks and side effects
- Temporary pain, swelling or stiffness in the days after the injection
- A flare in the first few days as the joint settles
- Infection, which is rare but serious, and the reason for sterile technique and antibiotic cover
- The hydrogel is permanent and cannot be removed, so the decision to have it should be made properly
- No benefit at all in a proportion of people
Evidence
What the evidence shows
Arthrosamid is a CE-marked medical device with published trial data in knee osteoarthritis, including comparison against hyaluronic acid, showing sustained improvement in pain and function over follow-up periods measured in years.
Limitations
The evidence base is younger than that for hyaluronic acid, and long-term data beyond a few years is still accumulating. A CE mark is a regulatory approval, not an endorsement of effectiveness. Individual outcomes vary.
Price
What it costs, and where
Included
£2,400To confirm
- Consultation
- Ultrasound-guided injection
- One follow-up review
Charged separately: imaging
Available at
SleafordTo confirm
London Road, Silk Willoughby, Sleaford, NG34 8NY
GranthamTo confirm
The Old Barracks, Sandon Road, Grantham, NG31 9AS
Compare
How it compares with the other three
Descriptive, not a ranking. Each of these does a different job.
| Hyaluronic acid | Arthrosamid® | Mytocel MSK | ChondroFiller Injection® | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Lubricates | Cushions | Regenerates | Rebuilds |
| Main purpose | Lubrication and symptom relief | Longer-term symptom management | Autologous regenerative pathway | Collagen scaffold across worn surfaces |
| Type | Manage the symptoms | Manage the symptoms | Change the surface | Change the surface |
| Pattern of wear | early wear to diffuse wear | early wear to bone on bone | early wear to diffuse wear | early wear to bone on bone |
| How long it lasts | Around six months | Several years from one injection | Builds over months from one session | Builds over six to twelve months |
| What is left behind | Absorbed by the body | Stays in the joint, not absorbed | Your own tissue | Resorbs, leaving your own tissue |
| Joints | Knee, Hip, Shoulder | Knee | Knee, Thumb base | Knee, Hip, Shoulder, Ankle, Elbow, Hand, Wrist |
| Important limitation | The usual first step, and the shortest acting of the four. | Acting early suits it well. At bone on bone it eases pain but changes nothing structurally. | Best suited to earlier wear on its own. For more advanced wear it is used inside a fuller approach rather than by itself. | The widest range of the four. At bone on bone it is usually combined with another treatment, or weighed against replacement. |
| From | £600To confirm | £2,400To confirm | £3,000To confirm | £3,500To confirm |
Manage the symptoms
Hyaluronic acid
- What it does
- Lubricates
- Main purpose
- Lubrication and symptom relief
- Pattern of wear
- early wear to diffuse wear
- How long it lasts
- Around six months
- What is left behind
- Absorbed by the body
- Joints
- Knee, Hip, Shoulder
- Important limitation
- The usual first step, and the shortest acting of the four.
- From
- £600To confirm
Manage the symptoms
Arthrosamid®
- What it does
- Cushions
- Main purpose
- Longer-term symptom management
- Pattern of wear
- early wear to bone on bone
- How long it lasts
- Several years from one injection
- What is left behind
- Stays in the joint, not absorbed
- Joints
- Knee
- Important limitation
- Acting early suits it well. At bone on bone it eases pain but changes nothing structurally.
- From
- £2,400To confirm
Change the surface
Mytocel MSK
- What it does
- Regenerates
- Main purpose
- Autologous regenerative pathway
- Pattern of wear
- early wear to diffuse wear
- How long it lasts
- Builds over months from one session
- What is left behind
- Your own tissue
- Joints
- Knee, Thumb base
- Important limitation
- Best suited to earlier wear on its own. For more advanced wear it is used inside a fuller approach rather than by itself.
- From
- £3,000To confirm
Change the surface
ChondroFiller Injection®
- What it does
- Rebuilds
- Main purpose
- Collagen scaffold across worn surfaces
- Pattern of wear
- early wear to bone on bone
- How long it lasts
- Builds over six to twelve months
- What is left behind
- Resorbs, leaving your own tissue
- Joints
- Knee, Hip, Shoulder, Ankle, Elbow, Hand, Wrist
- Important limitation
- The widest range of the four. At bone on bone it is usually combined with another treatment, or weighed against replacement.
- From
- £3,500To confirm
This comparison describes what each treatment is for. It is not a ranking, and it cannot tell you which one suits your joint. That is decided at assessment, on examination and imaging.
Questions
Common questions
- How is it different from hyaluronic acid?
- Hyaluronic acid lubricates and is absorbed within months. Arthrosamid cushions and stays in the joint. Different mechanism, different timescale, different price.
- Does it repair my cartilage?
- No. It treats how the joint feels, not what it is made of. If rebuilding the surface is your priority, ChondroFiller Injection or Mytocel MSK are the ones to ask about.
- Can I still have a knee replacement later?
- Yes. Having Arthrosamid does not rule out a replacement in the future.
- How long before I know if it has worked?
- Give it a few weeks at least. Your follow-up review is the point at which we assess it properly.
- Can it be used in joints other than the knee?
- Our Arthrosamid pathway is for the knee. For other joints, ask about the other three treatments at your assessment.
Other treatments
Find out whether Arthrosamid fits your joint.
An assessment looks at the joint, the imaging and what you want back, then tells you honestly which of the four fits, or whether none of them does.