osteoarthritis

What is CRESPINE® GEL PLUS?

CRESPINE® GEL PLUS is a medicine that is given to people who have a form of arthritis called osteoarthritis. People with this disease have joint pain and inflammation that makes it hard for them to move about. Osteoarthritis happens when the cartilage covering the ends of bones wear out, causing the bones end to come into contact with each other. As they rub against each other, inflammation can occur, causing symptoms like pain, stiffness, and swelling.
Crespine Gel is a viscosupplement. These are medicines injected directly into the affected knee to help with the pain and swelling that come with osteoarthritis. In normal healthy knee joints, there is normally a thick liquid called synovial fluid that coats the ends of the bones and helps to reduce the impact created by activities like walking, running, and jumping, much like shock absorbers in a car. In people with knee osteoarthritis, this thick, gel-like fluid changes for the worse by either becoming considerably watery or reduced in volume, so as to not able to perform its role well any longer.

Gel composition

Like other viscosupplements, CRESPINE® GEL PLUS is made of a material called sodium hyaluronate, which is also known as hyaluronic acid. This acid is usually used in skincare products to hydrate the skin, and it is a major component of synovial fluid. The product has a thick gel-like consistency, as its name suggests, and is designed to be as similar as possible to healthy synovial fluid in the knee joint. In order to get the consistency needed, some of the hyaluronic acid in this product is chemically altered through a process called cross-linking to become harder and stiffer.
Unlike most other viscosupplements such as Belotero, however, CRESPINE® GEL PLUS also has small amount of a numbing agent called prilocaine. This is there to help reduce the pain of injection.

Ingredients discussed

1.  1.0mg of sodium hyaluronate

This compound is naturally produced by your body and is largely found in connective tissues, the skin, joints, and the eyes. As a substance with remarkable water-retaining properties, it helps to keep its surrounding tissue or area well-hydrated. As such, this ingredient has many health benefits, especially in the skin and joints. In addition to its role as a lubricator in knee joints, applying creams containing sodium hyaluronate to the skin helps to keep it supple and moist; it also has anti-aging benefits. Additionally, it has beneficial roles in promoting wound healing, lessening bladder pain, and in easing dry eye syndrome.

2. 14.0mg of cross-linked sodium hyaluronate

Cross-linked sodium hyaluronate is sodium hyaluronate molecules that have been chemically bonded to each other in a specific way. Cross-linking makes the molecules of sodium hyaluronate larger and more stable, with the latter property making these molecules less likely to break down when inside the skin. Cross-linked sodium hyaluronate is added to CRESPINE® GEL PLUS for two reasons. Firstly, it helps to make the product firmer and thicker so that it better cushions and coats the joint. Secondly, it allows CRESPINE® GEL PLUS to last and remain efficacious for a longer period of time in the joint.

3. 3.0mg of prilocaine hydrochloride

The role of prilocaine hydrochloride in this medicine is to provide pain relief during the injection process. CRESPINE® GEL PLUS is given in a single injection to the knee, and some patients may find this procedure uncomfortable. While practitioners can provide their patients with other means relieving their injection pain—such as numbing cream, numbing spray, or ice—giving the numbing medication in this way is more convenient and saves time.

Dosage

Recommended dose

One major benefit of using CRESPINE® GEL PLUS is its single dose regimen; only one injection is needed in order to reap the full benefits of treatment. The recommended dose for this treatment is 2ml. It is given in the doctor’s office.

Missing a dose

It is recommended that CRESPINE® GEL PLUS injection be given every 8–10 months or so. If patients miss a dose, they should schedule an injection session at the earliest opportunity to avoid the return of knee pain. They should not try to get a receive a second dose in injection sessions in order to catch up on a missed dose.

Overdosing

As the medicine is given by a doctor, it is not likely that patients will be given excessive amounts of CRESPINE® GEL PLUS. The doctor will determine the right amount of CRESPINE® GEL PLUS to give to their patients. In the event that a patient has been given an overdose of CRESPINE® GEL PLUS, they should seek immediate medical help.