How Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE) Reduces Knee Pain and Disability Caused by Osteoarthritis

When you have knee osteoarthritis, you know it. Your once-flexible knee suddenly seems foreign to you — an achy, stiff, clicking, locking pain in your life.  

For years, the gold-standard treatment path led to invasive surgeries or long-term (and often inadequate) pain management strategies. But today, a beacon of hope is painting a brighter, non-surgical future for osteoarthritis patients: genicular artery embolization (GAE).

In this brief guide, Dr. John Woo and Dr. Benjamin Wilson of Vascular & Interventional Specialists in Fort Worth, Texas, unpack the complexities of knee osteoarthritis and how GAE is emerging as a game-changing, empowering solution for restoring knee mobility and comfort. 

Knee osteoarthritis 101

Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that affects more than 365 million people worldwide. The relentless cycle of wear and tear erodes the protective cartilage at the ends of your bones, leading to pain, swelling, and difficulty moving. 

Frequently associated with aging, past injuries, or obesity, knee osteoarthritis is a silent adversary that gradually chips away at your quality of life. But what can you do when every step is a harsh reminder of the underlying discomfort?

Enter GAE

GAE is a minimally invasive, image-guided procedure that relieves chronic knee pain by targeting the arteries that supply blood to your knee. It’s an excellent option if you’re seeking an osteoarthritis treatment that doesn’t involve major surgical interventions, like a total knee replacement. 

GAE operates on the principle that by interrupting the inflow of blood through specific arteries in your knee, we can disrupt pain signals, reduce swelling, and significantly restore your knee’s functional ability. 

During this ingenious procedure, our experienced surgeons thread a catheter through the arterial network, delivering microscopic embolic agents where they’re needed most — in the arteries that lead to inflamed tissues and sensitive nerve fibers.

Benefits of GAE

GAE provides significant tangible benefits. You can expect it to:

• Rapidly reduce pain and inflammation
• Increase knee range of motion and overall function 
• Defer or prevent the need for surgical treatment

Considering these outcomes, it’s no wonder that GAE garners widespread praise from surgeons and patients alike.

The road to recovery: What to expect after GAE

When you choose GAE treatment, we guide you through the pre-operative preparations and the day-of experience, and let you know what to expect during the post-procedural recovery. 

Your GAE procedure only takes one to two hours. Afterwards, we keep you here for a few hours to observe you; then you’re free to go home. It’s best to take it easy for a couple of days. You should start noticing significant pain relief within the first week; most people continue enjoying sustained pain relief for up to four years. 

GAE considerations and risks

No medical treatment is without its caveats.

GAE may not be for everyone, and we have candid discussions on the candidacy criteria, contraindications, and the nuances of the procedure before recommending it. Typically, good candidates:

• Are between the ages of 40 and 80
• Have localized tenderness in the affected knee
• Have moderate to severe pain
• Do not have bone deformities
• Have not responded well to NSAIDs and joint injections

We don’t recommend GAE if your knee osteoarthritis is extremely advanced, you’re a smoker or past smoker, or you have any current infections or malignancies. 

Your journey, your decision

The path to GAE is a personal one. We hope this overview has given you some insight as you consider the best treatment for your knee osteoarthritis.

If you have questions or want to discuss whether you’re a good candidate for GAE, request an appointment online or call Vascular & Interventional Specialists in Fort Worth, Texas, today.