Intra-articular sodium hyaluronate, compound betamethasone, and ropivacaine combined with arthroscopic debridement in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of sodium hyaluronate (SH), compound betamethasone (BT), and ropivacaine (Rop) in combination with arthroscopic debridement (AD) for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 107 KOA patients treated at Shantou Central Hospital l, including 52 patients in the control group who received AD alone and 55 patients in the observation group who additionally received intra-articular SH, compound BT, and Rop. Treatment efficacy, pain levels, knee joint function, lower limb motor function, serum inflammatory markers, quality of life, and sleep quality were assessed and compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors influencing treatment outcomes.

Results: The observation group showed significantly better outcomes than the control group in terms of overall treatment efficacy, pain relief, improvement in joint and lower limb function, reduction in inflammatory markers, and enhancement of both sleep quality and overall quality of life. Prolonged disease duration was identified as an independent risk factor for poor treatment outcomes.

Conclusion: The combination of SH, compound BT, and Rop with AD offers significant clinical advantages in the management of KOA, supporting its broader adoption in clinical practice.

Keywords: Knee osteoarthritis; arthroscopic debridement; compound betamethasone; ropivacaine; sodium hyaluronate.

Figure 1

Comparison of VAS, Lysholm, and HSS scores. A. Pre- and post-operative VAS scores in both groups. B. Pre- and post-operative Lysholm scores in both groups. C. Pre- and post-operative HSS scores in both groups. Notes: VAS, Visual Analogue Scale; HSS, Hospital for Special Surgery. *P<0.05, **P<0.01.

Figure 2

Comparison of FMA and WOMAC scores. A. Pre- and post-operative FMA scores in both groups. B. Pre- and post-operative WOMAC scores in both groups. Notes: FMA, Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment; WOMAC, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. *P<0.05, **P<0.01.

Figure 3

Comparison of serum inflammation markers. A. Pre- and post-operative CRP in both groups. B. Pre- and post-operative TNF-α in both groups. C. Pre- and post-operative IL-6 in both groups. Notes: CRP, C-reactive protein; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α; IL-6, interleukin 6. *P<0.05, **P<0.01.

Figure 4

Comparison of SF-36 scores. Note: SF-36, Short-Form 36 Item Health Survey. *P<0.05, **P<0.01.