Should I get an injection into my joint?
Ask SOS orthopedist online.

Orthobiology is a medical field that focuses on regenerative medicine techniques for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions.

Orthobiology refers to biological materials used to help injuries heal faster, and enhance the body's natural healing processes. These can include therapies such as PRP (platelet-rich plasma), stem cell therapy and bone marrow concentrate. PRP involves concentrating platelets from the patient's own blood and injecting them into injured areas to promote healing by providing growth factors that help tissue repair and reduce inflammation.

This specialization often focuses on conditions such as tendonitis, ligament sprains, arthritis, and sports injuries. Specialists assess the specific situation of each patient to determine the most appropriate orthobiological intervention, with the aim of improving recovery, reducing reliance on medication, and postponing or ruling out the need for surgical intervention. These specialists collaborate with physical therapists to design comprehensive rehabilitation programs that maximize the benefits of regenerative therapies and support long-term functional improvements.

Orthobiology also includes the use of non-cellular substances, such as hyaluronic acid, to improve joint function and relieve pain in conditions of cartilage erosion and arthritis. Hyaluronic acid injections are administered directly into the joint (usually the knee, but sometimes the hip, shoulder, or wrist joints) to improve the lubrication and shock absorption of the synovial fluid and reduce friction between cartilage surfaces. These substances can be of biological or synthetic origin, and are available in single doses or in series of injections depending on the product and the therapist's recommendations.
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The mechanism of action includes improving the viscous properties of the articular fluid, supporting the reduction of local inflammation and pain relief, which may lead to improvements in range of motion and day-to-day functioning.
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Clinical evidence suggests variable benefit—in some patients significant relief is observed for a period of months, while others experience little or limited benefit in time. Therefore, the choice of hyaluronic acid injection is personalized and weighs factors such as the severity of the problem, response to previous conservative treatments, and treatment goals.

Orthobiology also includes a treatment called Autologous Conditioned Serum (ACS), in which the patient's blood is used to create a serum rich in anti-inflammatory agents, such as the Interleukin-1 receptor blocker (IL-1Ra). The process involves taking blood, stimulating the cells (e.g. using glass beads) to encourage secretion of beneficial proteins, filtering/centrifugation to collect the conditioned serum and injecting it back into the affected area — usually into the joint or around tendons and injury sites.

The intended mechanism of action is to reduce local inflammation by supplying natural anti-inflammatory substances, reducing the activity of harmful cytokines, and promoting a supportive environment for tissue healing.

Mechanism of action: steroids suppress intracellular inflammatory processes: reduce the production of inflammatory cytokines, reduce vascular permeability and swelling, and contribute to a relatively rapid relief of symptomatology.

Inflammatory attacks of osteoarthritis (OA) are common indications for symptomatic treatment, local inflammatory arthritis, bursitis, and certain tendinitis when precise injection can be placed.

Efficacy and duration of pain and swelling relief can sometimes be seen within days to weeks; the duration of the effect varies from weeks to months, depending on the severity of the disease and other factors.

General risks and side effects:
Pointed pain or “flare” after injection, rare but severe intra-articular infection, local atrophy/depigmentation, and temporary increase in blood sugar in diabetics.

Risk of Cartilage Toxicity:
Frequent injections into the same joint should be avoided; it should be considered that the treatment provides short to moderate relief but may damage the cartilage structure in the long term. Practical recommendations to limit frequency: Avoid frequent injections — Common guidelines specify a few months interval between injections (e.g. no more than 3—4 each year for the same joint), and customize.

Treatment is generally considered safe, with mild local side effects - spot pain, swelling or heating after injection; rare joint infection. Injection should be avoided in case of active contamination of the area or sensitivity to the material. Specialists in the field evaluate each patient individually to decide whether an injection is appropriate, sometimes combining it with physical therapy, activity modification, and pain relief medications with the aim of prolonging the improvement of function and delaying or avoiding surgery if possible.