Pentosan Polysulfate Injection for Osteoarthritis
Transforming Osteoarthritis Treatment
Pentosan Polysulfate (PPS) has been used in humans for over 60 years, most of it in its FDA-approved form as a blood thinner and to treat a painful bladder condition called interstitial cystitis. But PPS is quickly finding a role in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.
Osteoarthritis is widely assumed to be a condition of “wear and tear” of joints, with the only definitive treatment being joint replacement. But evidence is growing that inflammation and poor blood supply are the primary drivers of joint disease, which can both be treated.
Pentosan Polysulfate Remarkable Impact
Specifically, PPS has been shown to improve subchondral bone marrow lesions in knee OA. The subchondral bone is located just beneath the joint cartilage and serves as a “shock absorber” to blunt the forces of walking, running, and jumping. When this bone, and cartilage, deteriorates, significant pain can result. PPS acts in the joint and bone not only to improve blood supply and decrease inflammation, but also to directly regenerate cartilage and prevent cartilage breakdown.
The success of PPS in knee joints has led to its use for other joint degeneration in the spine, hip, shoulder, and hands.