Journal of Asian-african Focus in Health
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026): Journal of Asian-african Focus in Health

The Efficacy of Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid Injections in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis and Concomitant Vitamin D Deficiency: Literature Review

Muhammad Tsaqif Amdisyah (Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muslim Indonesia)
Abdul Mubdi Ardiansar Arifuddin Karim (Unknown)
Muhammad Jabal Nur (Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muslim Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Aug 2026

Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disorder involving articular cartilage, subchondral bone, synovium, and periarticular structures. Intra-articular hyaluronic acid (IAHA) is widely used as a viscosupplementation therapy; however, its clinical effectiveness remains controversial with heterogeneous outcomes across studies. Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in musculoskeletal dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress, which may influence therapeutic response in osteoarthritis patients. This literature review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of intra-articular hyaluronic acid in patients with knee osteoarthritis and concomitant vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency based on recent evidence from 2021–2026. A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, BMJ, Frontiers, MDPI, and clinical guidelines. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, cohort studies, and consensus reports. Narrative synthesis was applied due to limited direct evidence evaluating combined IAHA and vitamin D intervention. Results of the study show that  IAHA demonstrates small to moderate effects in reducing pain and improving functional outcomes in knee osteoarthritis, particularly in mild-to-moderate disease stages. However, pooled evidence suggests limited clinical superiority compared to placebo in several meta-analyses. Vitamin D deficiency is consistently associated with increased pain severity, reduced functional status, and lower quality of life. Emerging evidence indicates that vitamin D supplementation combined with IAHA may reduce synovial oxidative stress and improve clinical outcomes, although the evidence remains preliminary and non-conclusive. IAHA should not be recommended as a universal treatment for knee osteoarthritis. In patients with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, correction of vitamin D status may be considered as part of a multimodal approach and may enhance clinical response to IAHA. High-quality randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the synergistic effect.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

sj

Publisher

Subject

Dentistry Health Professions Medicine & Pharmacology Nursing Public Health Veterinary

Description

Journal of Asian African Focus in Health ISSN 29879418 is a peer reviewed open access publication devoted to Medical and Health Science Study including Health Veterinary medicine Health Care Pathology Pediatrics Nursing Public health and preventive medicine etc The journals submissions will be ...