Medical innovation opens new avenues even when traditional therapies are no longer sufficient. At the Ospedale del Mare in Naples, the first case of knee embolization was successfully performed in the ASL Napoli 1 Centro on a patient suffering from severe bilateral osteoarthritis, a debilitating condition that had significantly affected her quality of life.
Marina, a fictitious name chosen to protect her privacy, is 40 years old and had long been living with chronic pain that limited her independence and mobility. Despite her young age, she had already attempted all conventional treatment options, from physiotherapy and medications to injections and targeted rehabilitation programs, without lasting results. Faced with persistent symptoms and the inability to ensure sustained improvement, the team at the Orthopedic Unit, led by Nicola Orabona, chose a different approach, working in synergy with the Vascular and Interventional Radiology Department, led by Gianpaolo Santini.
The genicular artery embolization procedure, performed by vascular radiologists Francesco Arienzo, Giovanni Barbato, and Gaetano Sicuranza, along with orthopedic surgeon Gennaro Busco and the operating room nursing staff, is a minimally invasive technique that works by selectively interrupting the abnormal hypervascularization responsible for chronic inflammation. The procedure was uneventful and allowed the patient to return home quickly.
During subsequent checkups, Marina reported a significant reduction in pain, a recovery in function, and increased confidence in daily activities that until recently had been difficult or impossible. This result, while not a definitive cure for osteoarthritis, opens up important possibilities, especially for young patients, for whom surgery is often postponed.
The importance of this achievement is underscored by the company's medical director, Maria Corvino, who highlights how embolization can become a valuable option for pain management and how this clinical success confirms, once again, the importance of multidisciplinary work and collaboration between different hospital expertise.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It's very important that medical advances like knee embolization are being made, but it's unclear whether this can actually solve the problems of osteoarthritis sufferers. I hope other patients can benefit.