Tired of Chronic Knee Pain? What to Know About Genicular Artery Embolization

Knee pain that never really goes away is more than just a nuisance. It has the power to seriously impact your quality of life. If your pain stems from osteoarthritis or joint inflammation, it’s time to learn more about genicular artery embolization.

Genicular artery embolization is a minimally invasive alternative for people who want lasting pain relief without knee replacement surgery. Our team at Vascular & Interventional Specialists offers this innovative treatment in Miami, Florida, and here’s what you need to know.

How genicular artery embolization works for chronic knee pain

While your knee joint is made up of bones and cartilage, it also contains soft tissue linings (the synovium), small blood vessels, and nerve fibers. 

When arthritis or overuse triggers chronic inflammation, new blood vessels can form around your knee joint, and nerves in the joint lining can become overly sensitive.

This combination often contributes to symptoms like persistent pain, swelling, stiffness, or discomfort. Unfortunately, this type of pain doesn’t always respond well to traditional treatment like medications, physical therapy, or injections. 

Genicular arteries are the arteries that supply blood to your knee, and genicular artery embolization targets those pain-driving blood vessels.

The procedure selectively blocks the genicular arteries that feed the inflamed tissue in your knee joint, which reduces blood flow to the inflamed areas. 

This helps calm synovial inflammation and reduce nerve irritation, often with meaningful pain relief and improved mobility.

What happens during genicular artery embolization

Our interventional radiology team at Vascular & Interventional Specialists performs genicular artery embolization on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia and sometimes light sedation.

You lie down on an X-ray table, and we administer the anesthesia to ensure your comfort. Then, we make a small puncture (usually in your groin or wrist) and insert a small catheter, which we guide under X-ray to the knee’s genicular arteries. 

Once the catheter is in place, we inject tiny microscopic particles that partially block blood flow to the swollen, inflamed areas. We remove the catheter and apply a small bandage. You may be observed for a short period of time, then you’re free to go home the same day.

We’ll give you specific instructions for recovery. Because GAE is minimally invasive, recovery is much simpler than joint replacement. Expect mild soreness or swelling in the injected knee for a few days, and a gradual improvement over the following weeks.

When to consider genicular artery embolization

We specialize in interventional radiology, and we’re here to help you decide if genicular artery embolization is a good option for your chronic knee pain. We review your medical history, do a physical exam, and discuss the treatments you’ve already tried, and we may recommend genicular artery embolization if:

• You have chronic knee pain from osteoarthritis or other joint inflammation
• The pain is limiting your mobility, quality of life, or ability to perform daily tasks
• You’ve tried conservative treatments without long-term relief
• Your knee shows moderate to severe arthritis on imaging
• You want to avoid knee replacement surgery, or you’re not a good candidate for surgery

Genicular artery embolization can be especially attractive for people seeking a long-lasting, minimally invasive solution for chronic knee pain. In fact, many people notice a reduction in knee pain within 2-4 weeks as inflammation subsides. 

Pain relief often lasts from 1-3 years, which is a much longer duration than typical steroid injections, oral pain medications, or other conservative therapies. 

With this kind of relief, mobility and function can improve significantly, making walking, climbing stairs, and performing daily activities easier.

Importantly, genicular artery embolization doesn’t preclude future treatments. That means you can still undergo additional embolization, joint injections, or ultimately joint replacement if necessary.

If you’re living with persistent knee pain and typical treatments haven’t brought lasting relief, genicular artery embolization could be a powerful option to consider. 

Schedule a consultation at Vascular & Interventional Specialists to explore how we can help you take steps toward lasting pain relief without surgery.