Frequently Asked Questions

There are too many types of arthritis to list here (for a complete list, go to www.arthritis.org). Osteoarthritis refers to the breakdown, or degeneration, of the cartilage and fluid that cushion and lubricate the bones in your joints. Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint, but osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common type, affecting more than 10 million Americans.²⁶

In a healthy knee, the hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid is continuously broken down and replaced. Patients with knee osteoarthritis have diluted hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid – reducing the fluid’s lubrication and shock-absorbing properties.¹⁵ Symptoms of OA also include increase in inflammation and degradation of the knee cartilage which can contribute towards pain when moving your knees.^15,24 Increasing knee pain, in turn, causes you to further limit your knee movement, creating a painful cycle of knee deterioration and synovial fluid depletion.

• Bones: Sometimes knee bones start to grow bony spurs called osteophytes that restrict knee movement and cause pain.
• Knee capsule: The tissue surrounding the knee can become thick and swollen, and sometimes inflamed.
• Knee cartilage: The gap between your knee bones is normally separated by cartilage tissue. The cartilage tissue functions as a shock absorber for your knee bones When osteoarthritis becomes worse, the cartilage tissue in your knee is worn away, shrinking the gap between your knee bones. When the gap is smaller, moving your knee without pain becomes more difficult.
• Knee joint fluid: The hyaluronic acid content of the fluid in your knees breaks down and is less able to perform its protective functions.

No, there are different classes of injectable therapies that may be used to treat osteoarthritis in your knee. For example, steroid injections (such as cortisone) may help relieve knee pain and swelling temporarily. Opioids, such as morphine, are a class of drug with a very strong analgesic (painkilling) effect. On the other hand, hyaluronic acid injections such as SUPARTZ FX are designed to supplement the lost hyaluronic acid in the fluid in your knee joint, which provides cushioning and lubrication.

Most patients report experiencing little pain or discomfort during the injection. Many doctors will apply a topical drug to numb the skin prior to giving the SUPARTZ FX injection, to minimize any pain or discomfort.

No additional drug or surgery is involved in treatment with SUPARTZ FX (other than a topical drug to numb your knee). You can schedule SUPARTZ FX treatments just as you would any other office visit.

The entire procedure is performed in the doctor’s office and takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes. SUPARTZ FX is administered by a series of single injections into the affected knee joint.¹⁶ Your doctor may advise you to avoid strenuous physical activities for a few days after your injection.

SUPARTZ FX treats knee osteoarthritis by temporarily restoring hyaluronic acid in the fluid in your knee. The diminished amount of hyaluronic acid in your knee is one of the causes of your knee pain.¹⁵ Unlike oral painkillers or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that affect all parts of your body, SUPARTZ FX specifically targets the osteoarthritis pain in your knee.

If you have knee osteoarthritis pain and the pain is not controlled by lifestyle changes or simple painkillers, you could be a candidate for SUPARTZ FX treatment. To find out if SUPARTZ FX might be right for you, please consult your doctor.

SUPARTZ FX is covered by Medicare and many private insurance plans for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis pain. You can find out if your plan covers SUPARTZ FX by calling your plan directly before initiating therapy.

Hyaluronic acid is a molecule found naturally throughout the human body. It is an important component of the joint fluid, called synovial fluid. The synovial fluid enables joints to move easily and freely while also absorbing the shock in the joint that occurs during physical activity. In a healthy joint, the joint fluid helps to protect bones and other joint tissues from injury and disease.

The hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid in your joint is continuously broken down and replaced over time. During the gradual progression of osteoarthritis, hyaluronic acid breaks down faster and becomes diluted. This has a negative effect on the protective properties of the joint synovial fluid, reducing its ability to provide the elasticity and viscosity to your knee cartilage that is needed for normal, pain-free joint movement.

A study of patients who had undergone knee replacement surgery published in 2015 found that prior treatment with hyaluronic acid injections postponed their need for knee replacement surgery.¹² In this survey, the more courses of hyaluronic acid treatment the patients had received, the longer the time was between their initial diagnosis of osteoarthritis and their knee replacement operation. Patients without hyaluronic acid treatment had their knee replacement surgery after an average of 9 months. Patients who received 5 or more courses of hyaluronic acid treatment delayed their knee replacement operation by an average of 3.6 years.¹²

A steroid injection is used to reduce inflammation and pain. A steroid injection usually starts to work quicker than an injection of hyaluronic acid, but it doesn’t last as long.¹¹ In a clinical study comparing steroid injections with hyaluronic acid injections for patients with knee osteoarthritis, both treatments provided a reduction in knee pain and stiffness, but the benefits of the hyaluronic injection lasted several months longer and could be repeated without showing a decline in effect.¹¹

Relief from knee pain and restoration of knee function can last up to 6 months after a course of treatment with SUPARTZ FX.^16,22

Yes. SUPARTZ FX is clinically proven to be safe, even following repeated injections. More information about clinical studies of SUPARTZ FX safety can be found in the summary of Indications for Use in the package insert.

Yes. However, you will need one injection in each individual knee.

You should not use SUPARTZ FX if you have infections or skin disease at the injection site. SUPARTZ FX has not been tested in pregnant or lactating women, or children.¹⁶ Full information about the indications and contraindications for SUPARTZ FX can be found in the package insert or by contacting Customer Service at 1-800-836-4080.

In clinical studies, adverse events were no more common following treatment with SUPARTZ FX than comparable treatment with a dummy injection of salt water.^16,38 In fact, more people discontinued treatment with the dummy injection than those who received SUPARTZ FX therapy.³⁸ Pseudoseptic (acute inflammatory) reactions have NOT been reported in 20 prospective, randomized, controlled trials of SUPARTZ FX.*⁴¹

_{*Does not include current prescribing experience.}

• Proven pain relief across multiple clinical studies^16,22,38,39
• As safe as salt water in clinical studies^16,19,22,38
• More than 410 million SUPARTZ FX injections administered worldwide³⁷
• Has a flexible course of therapy, from 3 to 5 injections, so you receive only the number of shots that your doctor recommends