Revealed: The miracle treatment that could ease your crippling knee pain and save you from surgery for years
Like millions in this country Allison, 48, was suffering with osteoarthritis, when cushioning cartilage in the joint wears away, and doctors were warning her a knee replacement may be her only option.
But despite her finding even going down the stairs virtually impossible at times, Allison didn't feel ready to undergo this surgery.
'I knew if I had one [a replacement knee] that young, it would probably need replacing in about 20 years,' says Allison, now a BBC broadcaster who lives near Hexham, Northumberland, with partner Steve Cram, 64, the Olympic silver medallist and athletics commentator. 'But I didn't think I had many other options.'
Yet Allison is now back to her former active lifestyle – after having an injection of a gel normally used to treat lame horses.
Doctors hope it will delay younger patients needing a knee replacement by years.
More than 100,000 people a year in the UK undergo knee replacement surgery. Although the average age for the procedure is 70, around one in six patients are under 60.
An artificial joint usually lasts about 20 years. It's hoped the new gel, called Arthrosamid, could postpone when patients need their first knee replacement, potentially avoiding the need for a second one in later years.
Called a hydrogel, it is made of water and a porous component called a polyacrylamide, a substance that's not degraded by our immune system so remains in the knee for years, where it calms down inflammation in the synovium, the soft membrane that lines and protects the knee joint.
Once the gel is injected, which takes 15 minutes under a local anaesthetic, it gets absorbed by the synovial membrane.
Data presented at the European Orthopaedic Research Society meeting in Denmark last year, involving 49 patients with an average age of 70, showed that four years after a single jab of the gel they still had reduced pain and stiffness and improved function of the knee.
More than five million people in the UK have knee osteoarthritis, according to the charity Versus Arthritis. It causes cartilage – the tough fibrous material which acts as a shock absorber for our joints – to be worn down to the point where bones rub together.
This is not only caused by wear and tear; it is now believed that gender (it's more common in women), obesity and injury to the joint also play a part.
'More people are exercising and active for longer,' says Andrew Pearse, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Worcestershire
Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. 'Recreational sportspeople have higher rates of injury and therefore are more likely to end up with osteoarthritis.'
Treatment usually revolves around controlling the pain and inflammation with drugs such as ibuprofen, or steroid injections into the knee to reduce the swelling. But tens of thousands each year need major surgery to have an artificial knee joint fitted.
Allison was forced to retire from athletics after six operations (followed by a further three since retiring) to clean out damaged cartilage floating inside her knee.
'Unfortunately my knee problems have plagued me all through my athletics career,' says Allison.
'By the time I was into my mid-40s there was less and less I could do. I couldn't kneel because my right knee simply wouldn't bend enough to allow that and was too weak for me to ever balance one-legged on it.
'After a long drive I had to flex my knee because it was so stiff. I would wake up in the night as my knee hurt so much, and in the morning I had to warm it up with gentle bending movements.'
Painkillers did little to help and in November 2022 her knee had deteriorated so much that her surgeon raised the subject of a joint replacement.
'By this time I was suffering big flare-ups when my knee would lock and leave me in agony,' Allison recalls. But then she heard about the new gel treatment via her physiotherapist.
Arthrosamid was developed in Denmark and was first used in 2009 in the veterinary world to treat lameness in horses. Since proving safe for humans, about 15,000 patients across Europe have had the treatment.
It's not available on the NHS and private treatment in the UK costs around £2,500.
'It has the potential to be a game-changer,' says Mr Pearse.
Meanwhile, a five-year NHS trial was launched last year by Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital and Keele University, involving 61 patients with knee osteoarthritis who were given Arthrosamid. Six months in, researchers reported 76 per cent had reduced pain and improved function.
Allison had her injection in July last year and was almost immediately 'walking about without any pain and I had more flexion in my knee', she says. Earlier this year she did her first 5km Park Run in five years.
'At some point I might need a knee replacement but the gel has at least bought me more time before having it,' she says.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
an hour ago
- North Wales Live
'I went from 18 stone to 14 in one year and still drank beer every week - here's how'
As I hit the age of 30, I felt as though my life was on a downward spiral. The vitality of my twenties seemed like a distant memory - climbing the stairs became an Olympic feat, a trip to the shops required the mental preparation of preparing for my A Levels, and worst of all, I could feel my zest for life slipping away. A year ago, I tipped the scales at 115kg (18 stone, 1lb). Alongside the physical challenges of being medically overweight, my mental health took a severe hit. The man who could once walk into any room and chat with anyone now started hiding in corners, anxious and downbeat. Worst of all my patience with my loved ones slipped, snapping at them more frequently as fatigue and self-loathing began to suffocate everything I cherished. My clothes clung to my stomach and I constantly tugged at my top, hoping no one would notice. But a year ago, I reached my breaking point. I was tired of feeling inadequate. It was time for a change, and with the help of an app. I managed to shed four stone within a year, bringing my weight down to 89.3kg (14 stone). After extensive research, I finally decided to try what seemed to be the diet trend of the moment: intermittent fasting. This method involves having an 'eating window', typically 16 hours of fasting followed by eight hours of eating, but this can be adjusted to suit individual lifestyles, with ratios ranging from 14:10 to 12:12. Some people, including the late Dr Michael Moseley, also recommend the 5:2 method, which involves restricting calorie intake to 500 calories for two non-consecutive days. As someone who loves food as much as the parents in Spirited Away, the idea of fasting seemed as appealing as cutting out my own tongue. However, there are several tools that can help, one of which is the Simple app, which I have tested before. The app, assisted by the AI Avo, sends reminders about your fasting window and provides tips and tricks on how to fast, nutrition advice and more. This was particularly helpful for me, a man whose memory is more sieve than pint glass, reports the Mirror. I also made sure to eat in a calorie deficit - not an extreme one, and it shouldn't be for anyone planning their own weight loss journey. According to NHS guidelines, the recommended daily calorie intake for the average person is 2,500 calories for men and 2,000 for women. To lose weight, we need to consume fewer calories than we burn, so our bodies use stored fat for energy instead of the food we eat. To determine the appropriate deficit, you need to calculate your 'Basal Metabolic Rate', which can be done using calculators like this one from This term simply refers to the number of calories your body requires to function, excluding exercise. If you're active, you'll need to add a few hundred extra calories. A smartwatch, such as the FitBit Versa 4 that I use, can help track your energy expenditure. However, Simple guides users through this process and calculates how much you need to eat through their quiz. My result was 2,400 calories a day to lose 1-2lbs a week, which is healthy weight loss for someone my size. Next, you need to monitor your daily calorie intake. This was the first of two significant changes that helped me shed four stone in a year at a healthy pace. I know what you're thinking - who can be bothered? That's exactly what I thought, especially when using a manual tracker like MyFitnessPal. While the app is free, it doesn't have a comprehensive food database, but the barcode scanner does alleviate some of the frustration. Simple also offers a solution - Avo can analyse a photo of your meal, identify the ingredients and provide a nutrition score. I'd love to tell you that you can eat whatever you want as long as you fast, but if you're after health benefits in addition to aesthetic changes, you'll need to ensure proper nutrition. Avo occasionally gets the sizes or products in the photo wrong - AIs, a human invention, are fallible like us too - but you can easily make corrections. To simplify my life, I buy chicken breasts in bulk for the week and absolutely smother them in seasoning. By the time I put one in the air fryer, it's been marinating long enough to be absolutely delicious. (Aldi pre-mixed seasoning is 89p per pot, you're welcome). I also cook things like Bolognese or chilli in large quantities so I always have something ready. But here's the fun part: I still ate takeaways every week. I still ate pizza, I still treated myself. I limit myself to one big indulgence a week but the secret is, as long as you stay under your calorie limit, you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I couldn't believe it either. For me, it was about being consistent all week, rather than perfect. If you overeat one day, don't worry, just get back on track the next day - don't feel bad, we're all human and food is delicious. The next significant change I made was ensuring I got at least 10,000 steps a day. I now go to the gym four times a week and swim twice a week, but last year I was only going three days and not getting my steps in. It's hard to overstate how much getting my steps in has changed my life - the energy boost came from this, not the gym, and it also meant I had the energy to start swimming every week. It's now my favourite activity of the week. For those seeking inspiration for exercise, you can try the couch to 5k programmes available on apps such as BBC Sounds for free and Nike Run Club. The Nike Run Club app has received a high rating of 4.8 stars out of five on the Apple App Store. A year on, I am healthier and much happier. Nothing feels like too much effort - some days, I feel like I could bench press the sun. Not every day will be perfect because no one is. Whenever you stumble, pick yourself up and start again, it's the only way to progress towards a healthier and happier life. I still enjoy a night out drinking once a week (I'm from Essex so trust me when I say... I go out drinking), and I still treat myself to a kebab or Wingstop. But for the rest of the week, I am committed. That's how you lose weight and keep it off. I hope you achieve your goals too.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Sussex organ recipient talks about transplant story 40 years on
A transplant recipient from West Sussex has seen himself in a public information film for the first time since it was made more than 40 years Ayres from Bognor Regis was featured in a half-hour documentary, Towards A Better Life - A Gift Of Life, which discussed the organ donation system and how recipients could still live a healthy life following a 66-year-old had kidney failure of unknown cause and said that since the operation, he has always celebrated having a second chance in life. "I remember doing the interview but I don't think I ever saw the final film – it's so amusing to see it," he said. Mr Ayres was filmed by the Central Office of Information's (COI) scientific division in the early 1980s before the organisation closed in segment showed him taking part in a radio phone-in about transplants at BBC Radio Solent."I'm surprised to see how fit and youthful I was," Mr Ayres added. "I remember doing the interview in Southampton with BBC South and feeling nervous."The style of documentaries has changed so much since then, it was very sober and informative." The documentary explores medicine and public attitudes, featuring interviews with people on dialysis experiencing kidney failure, the family of an organ donor, and the work of the national organ matching team in the time, there were about 1,000 transplants a year and about 2,500 people on the waiting 2024 to 2025, more than 4,500 transplants have been carried out a year and about 8,000 people are on the waiting list, according to NHS Blood and Dr Maurice Slapak, who also founded the World Transplant Games in 1978, performed Mr Ayres' first transplant and and oversaw the Ayres went on to work in local government for 35 years, completed a master's degree, sailed around the world in the 1989 Fastnet race as part of a transplant team, and sailed around the UK. 'Choice to live' "I feel incredibly grateful to have had the transplants," he said. "I always think of the donor family who in their hours of pain and loss gave people the gift of life."The doctors don't really know exactly why some transplants last and others don't."I'm lucky to still have mine. It has allowed me the choice to live a fulfilling life with no constraints."Mr Ayres added he encouraged people to support organ donation to help "change someone's life".Chris Callaghan, a consultant kidney and pancreas transplant surgeon and NHS Blood and Transplant's clinical lead for organ utilisation, said: "Richard's story shows the power of organ donation – he has led a full life and can look back at himself as a young transplant recipient 40 years ago."Sadly, as was the case in the 1980s, people still die every day in need of a transplant."
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
'I lost 4 stone in a year but still eat takeaways by changing just two things'
Losing weight is hard but there are a few easy things you can do to shed the pounds - and now I've completely changed my health As soon as I turned 30, I thought my life would now be in decline. The energy of my twenties faded into a distant memory - walking up the stairs felt like an Olympic challenge, going to the shops required the same amount of mental preparation as London marathon runner (I imagine) and, worst of all, I felt the lust for life slipping out of my hands. I weighed 115kg (18 stone, 1lb) exactly one year ago. Compounding the physical difficulties of being medically overweight, my mental health started a sharp decline. Where I would normally walk into a room and be able to talk to anyone, I felt myself hiding in the corners. My patience declined with my loved ones and felt myself snapping at them more, as exhaustion and self-hatred began to squeeze the air out of everything I loved. Clothes clung to my stomach and everywhere I went, I pulled my top away in hopes people wouldn't see. But, exactly one year ago, I had enough of feeling like I wasn't enough. The time for change came - with the assistance of an app. And I lost four stone in that one year, so I now weigh 89.3kg (14 stone). Through all the research, I finally turned my attention to what I assumed was the diet advice flavour of the month: intermittent fasting. The process involves having an 'eating window', typically 16 hours of fasting for eight hours of not fasting, but can be altered to sort the lifestyle, from 14:10 to 12:12. Some people - including the late Dr Michael Moseley - also suggest the 5:2 method of restricting calories to 500 calories for two non-consecutive days. Now, as someone who lives to eat like the parents in Spirited Away, committing to fasting sounds like I might as well chop out my own tongue. But there are several ways to help - one of those is the Simple app, which I have tested out fully here. The app, with the help of the AI Avo, sends notifications to remind you of the fasting window, as well as providing tips and tricks for how to fast, nutrition and more. This is particularly useful for me, a man with a colander where his brain should be. I also made sure I was eating in a deficit - now, this isn't a crazy deficit, nor should it be for anyone planning their own weight loss journey. According to the NHS, the recommended daily calorie intake (for the average person) is 2,500 calories for men and 2,000 for women. Humans need to eat in a deficit to lose weight, so the body uses its fat stores instead of the energy straight from the food. To work out what the deficit should be, you need to look at what your 'Basal Metabolic Rate' is, which can be done via calculators like this from While a technical term, it just means the amount of calories you need for your body to function without including exercise. If you're active, you then need to add a few hundred extra calories. That's where something like a smartwatch helps as it tracks your energy expenditure - I use the FitBit Versa 4. However, Simple guides users through this process and works out how much you need to eat through their quiz. Mine worked out to be 2,400 calories a day to lose 1-2lbs a week. Then, you need to track your calorie intake per day. This was the first of my two major changes that helped me lose four stone in a year at a healthy rate. I know, I know, who can be bothered? This is exactly what I thought, especially as I was using a manual tracker like MyFitnessPal. The app, while free, doesn't have a complete database of food, but I will say the barcode scanner saves a lot of frustration. Simple does have a solution in its capabilities as well - with a photo, Avo can analyse a photo of your food, pull out the ingredients and provide you with a nutrition score. I would love to sit here and tell you that you can eat whatever you want as long as you fast, but if you want the health bonus alongside the aesthetic changes, you're going to have to get the right nutrition. Avo does sometimes mix up the sizes or products in the photo - AI's, a human invention, are fallible like us too - but you can make corrections really easily. To make my life easier, I bulk buy chicken breasts for the week and absolutely drench those bad boys in seasoning. Then by the time I pop one in the air fryer, it's been marinating for long enough to be absolutely delicious. (Aldi pre-mixed seasoning is 89p per pot, you're welcome). I also bulk cook things like Bolognese or chilli so I've always got something ready. But this is where the fun bit comes in: I still ate takeaways every week. I still ate pizza, I still bought myself treats. I limited myself to one big treat a week but the secret is, as long as you are under calories, you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I couldn't believe it either. For me, it was making sure I was consistent all week, rather than perfect. If you eat too much one day, don't worry, just pick yourself up the next day instead - don't feel bad, we are all human beings and food is delicious. The next big change I made was getting at least 10,000 steps a day. I do go to the gym four times a week and swim twice a week now, but last year I was going three days and not getting my steps. It's difficult to overstate how much getting my steps in has changed my life - the energy bonus came from this, not going to gym, and it also meant I had the energy to start swimming every week. It's now my favourite activity of the week. For those looking for exercise inspiration, users can try couch to 5k programmes on apps from both BBC Sounds for free and Nike Run Club. Nike Run Club has 4.8 stars out of five on the Apple App Store. One year later, I am healthy and I am much happier. Nothing feels like too much effort - I feel like I can benchpress the sun some days. Not every day will be perfect as no one is. Whenever you get knocked down, pick yourself back up and start again, it's the only way to get towards the healthier and happier life. I still go out drinking once a week (I'm from Essex so trust me when I say... I go out drinking), I still get a kebab or Wingstop. But the rest of the week I am committed. That's how you lose weight and keep it off. I hope you smash it too.
