Genicular artery embolization
Reducing the abnormal blood supply that drives knee pain.
Genicular artery embolisation treats long-standing knee pain from osteoarthritis by reducing the abnormal blood vessels feeding the inflamed joint lining — through a pinhole, with no joint surgery.
What patients call it
Knee pain treatment without replacement surgery
At a glance
- What it does
- Reducing the abnormal blood supply that drives knee pain.
- Used for
- Knee osteoarthritis pain · Chronic knee pain not responding to medication
- How it is done
- Angiography shows an abnormal blush over the inflamed knee lining. → A microcatheter is advanced into the genicular branch feeding it. → Microspheres are released to reduce that supply.
- Recovery
- Procedure: Day 0 · Day 1: Routine activity
Used for
- — Knee osteoarthritis pain
- — Chronic knee pain not responding to medication
Symptoms & Causes
Symptoms
- — Chronic knee pain
- — Pain not relieved by medicines
Common Causes
- — Osteoarthritis
- — Inflammation
Diagnosis & Treatment
How it is diagnosed
- — X-ray / MRI
- — Clinical exam
The Procedure
- — Genicular artery embolization
Recovery & Benefits
- Procedure: Day 0
- Day 1: Routine activity
- 1 Month: Pain relief onset
Procedure sequence
- 01
Angiography shows an abnormal blush over the inflamed knee lining.
- 02
A microcatheter is advanced into the genicular branch feeding it.
- 03
Microspheres are released to reduce that supply.
- 04
The blush disappears under fluoroscopy.
- 05
Pain improves over the following weeks. No joint is opened.
Questions patients ask
How long does relief last after knee embolisation?+
Most studies report meaningful pain relief for one to two years or more. It does not reverse cartilage loss, so joint replacement remains available later if needed.