ORTHOVISC® is a highly purified hyaluronic acid preparation that improves joint function in osteoarthritis, provides long-lasting pain relief, and helps slow the progressive degeneration of cartilage. Treatment with ORTHOVISC® consists of three injections.
Long-lasting pain relief and improved joint function
ORTHOVISC® is the only fermented hyaluronic acid in Germany that is also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Treatment with ORTHOVISC® relieves symptoms and functional impairments in osteoarthritis for a period of at least six months.
Effective
- Optimal molecular weight of 1.80 × 10⁶ Daltons
- Excellent viscoelastic properties
- Long-lasting pain relief and improved mobility
Safe
- Optimal tolerability due to high purity
- Safety and efficacy demonstrated through FDA approval
- Over 20 years of ORTHOVISC® treatment experience
- Biotechnological fermentation process; free from animal proteins
Patient-friendly
- Only 3 injections per treatment cycle
- Less injection-related stress and pain for the patient
- Reduced risk of infection
- No pseudoseptic reactions reported in over 6 million injections worldwide
PROVEN EFFICACY WITH FDA APPROVAL,
Long-lasting pain relief and improved joint function
Abb. 1: Therapieeffekt einer Behandlung mit ORTHOVISC®.
- Clinical studies show that treatment with ORTHOVISC® relieves symptoms and functional impairments in osteoarthritis for a period of at least six months.1,2
- A placebo-controlled study demonstrates that ORTHOVISC® significantly reduces knee osteoarthritis pain. Joint function improves noticeably.2
- The high active ingredient concentration (15 mg/ml) helps slow the degenerative process in cartilage.
- ORTHOVISC® is the only fermented hyaluronic acid in Germany that is also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The comprehensive quality profile of ORTHOVISC® meets the strict criteria for efficacy and safety required by the FDA for a medical device.
OSTEOARTHRITIS THERAPY FOR LARGE AND SMALL JOINTS
ORTHOVISC® is a highly purified hyaluronic acid preparation that improves joint function in osteoarthritis, provides long-lasting pain relief, and helps slow the progressive degeneration of cartilage. Treatment with ORTHOVISC® consists of three injections. The pain-relieving and function-enhancing effects in the joint last on average twelve months.
Advantages of an ORTHOVISC® osteoarthritis therapy:
• Optimal molecular weight
• Excellent viscoelastic properties
• Very high degree of purity and free from animal proteins
ORTHOVISC®
Hyaluronic acid content: 30 mg/injection
Treatment: 3 injections (recommended)
Content: 1 prefilled syringe (2 ml)
Manufacturing: Fermentation
Production: Boston, USA
Applications: Optimal for small joints
Approval: FDA approval*, medical device with CE marking
ORTHOVISC® MINI
Hyaluronic acid content: 15 mg/injection
Treatment: 3 injections (recommended)
Content: 1 prefilled syringe (1 ml)
Manufacturing: Fermentation
Production: Boston, USA
Applications: Optimal for small joints
Approval: Medical device with CE marking
MORE KNOWLEDGE, MORE MOVEMENT
- ORTHOVISC® has a molecular weight of 1.80 × 10⁶ with simultaneously high rheological viscosity.
- Granulomatous inflammations, which appear to be induced by very high–molecular weight products due to their low solubility, can be almost entirely ruled out.5,6,7
Table 2: Comparison of viscosity and molecular weight of different hyaluronic acid preparations
- ORTHOVISC® maintains its viscosity optimally under load. In contrast, other preparations quickly lose their viscoelastic properties under stress and begin to exhibit a more fluid character.7
- ORTHOVISC® significantly improves the viscoelasticity of synovial fluid. Its lubricating and shock-absorbing properties are restored.
Fig. 2: Comparison of viscosity and molecular weight of different hyaluronic acid preparations
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease worldwide and refers to the wear and tear of joints. Joint mobility decreases, and the affected patient loses the ability to move freely. The joint becomes inflamed, swells, and causes pain. The most commonly affected joints are the hands, knees, and hips, as they bear the greatest load during daily movement. However, any other joint can also be affected. In Germany, an estimated 8 to 10 million people suffer from osteoarthritis. From an economic perspective, it is considered the most significant disorder of the musculoskeletal system.
While most people experience only temporary symptoms, around 2 million patients suffer from chronic pain and severe mobility restrictions. The number of affected individuals will continue to rise in the coming years due to increasing life expectancy. But it is not only older people who are affected — cartilage damage is increasingly occurring in children and adolescents as well. Additionally, the growing number of recreational athletes engaging in trend and high-risk sports such as kitesurfing or downhill mountain biking further contributes to the problem. These sports place extreme stress on the joints, leading to a rise in osteoarthritic symptoms even among younger individuals.
When everything runs smoothly: the healthy joint
In a healthy joint, cartilage ensures that the contacting bones glide smoothly over one another and that shocks are absorbed. The key substance in the joint fluid is hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid enables the synovial fluid to function, among other things, as a lubricant between the cartilage surfaces,
to cushion impacts and to keep the joint surfaces properly spaced. In other words, hyaluronic acid ensures that joints function smoothly and that the cartilage surfaces are protected from wear.
When nothing runs smoothly anymore: the osteoarthritic joint
In osteoarthritis, an imbalance occurs between the breakdown and production of hyaluronic acid in the joint fluid. As a result, the joint literally lacks lubrication. The consequence: gradual surface damage develops on the joint cartilage. The elasticity and load-bearing capacity of the cartilage decline rapidly.
