Tablets, medication
Chondroprotectives, i.e. drugs that inhibit cartilage degradation, are available both as injections and in tablet form: The active ingredient chondroitin sulphate, which supports the cartilage during compression, exists in capsule form under the trade names Gepan instill (Germany) and Chondrosulf (Austria, Switzerland). Chondroitin sulphate is an important structural and regulatory protein. Together with Agrecan it forms a large part of the cartilage mass.
Chondroitin sulphate also has a water-binding component – it is said to increase the cartilage‘s ability to bind water, thereby reducing frictional resistance and increasing elasticity. After it is taken orally in tablet form, it is enzymatically split in the intestine and can thus pass through the intestinal wall in a reduced size. This is the reason for certain undesirable side effects such as diarrhoea and loss of appetite.
However, therapy with chondroitin sulphate only makes sense as long as cartilage is still present that can be built up – i.e. in patients with arthrosis or juvenile (“juvenile”) growth pains. It is taken over 3 months, once or twice a year. The cost of 100mg chondroitin sulphate capsules is around 30€, it is available free of charge in pharmacies.
Also available in tablet form is vitamin E, or tocopherol. Foods such as fish, mangoes, or sunflower and olive oil contain particularly high levels of vitamin E. In principle, chondroprotective agents (hyaluronic acids) can be administered either by injection, directly into the knee joint and as therapy three to eight times a week, or orally in tablet form. As a rule, hyaluronic acid therapy is not covered by statutory health insurance.
However, it is always worth submitting a cost estimate to the statutory health insurance company. In individual cases, the treatment is then subsidized by the health insurance company. A good effect can only be expected after an intra-articular injection (injection directly into the affected joint) of the chondroprotectives /hyaluronic acid.
Scientific studies on the success of oral preparations have been published in renowned journals. The extent and duration of the success must be further investigated. Cartilage formation in the sense of regeneration does not occur.
Therapy
The therapy can be carried out in different ways: In addition to taking the medication in tablet form, the active ingredient can also be injected directly into the cartilage of the respective joint. This is more difficult for some joints than for others, but in principle it is possible for all joints. The injection should be carried out by a doctor.
The knee joint is particularly suitable for this therapy, as it is (unlike the hip joint, for example) particularly well accessible for injection therapy by syringe. The injection is given several times a week over a longer period of time. Since the active ingredient is not first metabolized – i.e. processed – in the body, no undesirable side effects occur. In rare cases, taking tablets can cause allergic reactions, including loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhoea and stomach pain.
