What Is the Success Rate of Genicular Artery Embolization?

Are you living with chronic arthritis pain in your knee? It can limit your mobility and quality of life — especially when conservative treatments aren’t effective enough, and you don’t want to undergo total knee replacement surgery.

The good news is that you have other treatment options. Genicular artery embolization is a promising, minimally invasive procedure to treat chronic knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. It’s an innovative alternative to surgery that targets the underlying cause of inflammation and pain — abnormal blood vessel growth.

Our team at Vascular & Interventional Specialists offers genicular artery embolization in Miami, Florida, and here’s more information about how it works and its success rate.

Understanding genicular artery embolization

First, let’s take a look at the underlying cause of osteoarthritis pain. In healthy joints, synovial tissue (a thin membrane that lines your joints) produces synovial fluid — a slippery substance that lubricates and nourishes the cartilage and bones inside your joints to help them move smoothly.

When you have osteoarthritis, the synovial tissue thickens and gets inflamed. Instead of helping your joints move smoothly, it releases chemicals that irritate nerves and increase fluid buildup, leading to the swelling, stiffness, and pain characteristic of arthritis.

Genicular artery embolization is a non-surgical procedure that reduces inflammation in your knee joint by blocking the small blood vessels (genicular arteries) supplying the inflamed synovial tissue.

Using image guidance, our interventional radiology team threads a catheter through a blood vessel — typically in your upper thigh — and into the arteries around your knee. Then, we inject tiny particles to selectively block the abnormal blood vessels.

This process reduces the excess blood flow and inflammation contributing to your chronic knee pain, helping to alleviate painful symptoms without damaging healthy tissue. 

We typically do genicular artery embolization on an outpatient basis, meaning you can go home the same day.

When to consider genicular artery embolization

We typically recommend genicular artery embolization for people with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis who aren’t ready for or are not candidates for knee replacement surgery. It's ideal for people who:

• Have persistent knee pain despite physical therapy, medications, or injections
• Are trying to delay or avoid surgery
• Cannot undergo surgery due to medical risks
• Prefer a less invasive option with a quicker recovery

Before moving forward with the procedure, we evaluate your medical history, do imaging studies, and confirm that it’s a good option for your condition and your symptoms.

How successful is genicular artery embolization?

Multiple studies have shown that genicular artery embolization is effective at reducing pain and improving function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Real-world data suggest a technical success rate of up to 100%, and many patients experience significant pain relief for 12 months or longer after the procedure.

It’s important to note that genicular artery embolization doesn’t cure osteoarthritis or regrow cartilage. However, it can offer a significant improvement in quality of life and can delay or reduce the need for joint replacement surgery. Some people may eventually need additional treatment or repeat embolization, but many find long-term relief with just one procedure.

At Vascular & Interventional Specialists, we’re proud to provide state-of-the-art care for people with chronic knee pain using the latest image-guided techniques. Our team is experienced in performing genicular artery embolization, and we’re here to help you get back to the activities you enjoy without the risks of surgery.

If you're struggling with knee pain and looking for effective, non-surgical relief, genicular artery embolization might be a good solution. Schedule a consultation with us online or call our team at 305-230-4664 to learn more today.