Anesthesiology and pain medicine researchers conduct clinical study on knee osteoarthritis patients
The clinical efficacy of MEST, a non-surgical treatment for degenerative knee osteoarthritis, has been confirmed by medical staff at Seoul National University Hospital.
MEST, which stands for Muscle Enhancement and Support Therapy, is a medical device developed and marketed by OVMedi. It works by inserting biodegradable polydioxanone (PDO) filaments with microscopic bidirectional barbs into the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) muscle of the knee to support weakened muscle tissue and promote regeneration. Unlike conventional joint-focused treatments, MEST targets the muscles supporting the joint to relieve knee osteoarthritis pain.
According to Seoul National University Hospital on Thursday, a research team led by Professor Kim Jung-su of the department of anesthesiology and pain medicine recently conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes in 62 knee osteoarthritis patients who had undergone the MEST procedure. The findings were published in the Journal of Pain Research, an international peer-reviewed journal in the field of pain medicine.
The study included patients across a range of disease severity, from Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grades 1 through 4. Patients with KL grade 4, corresponding to end-stage arthritis, accounted for 37.1 percent of the total, or 23 individuals. This allowed the research team to broadly evaluate treatment outcomes across the full clinical spectrum, from mild to severe cases.
According to the findings, patients' average pain score on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) fell from 5.8 out of 10 before the procedure to 2.5 at eight weeks after treatment — a reduction of more than half. In 80.6 percent of all patients, the NRS score dropped by 2 points or more, confirming clinically meaningful pain improvement.
The pain relief also translated into recovery of everyday physical function. At the eight-week assessment, 87.1 percent of patients reported improved ability to walk on flat ground. Stair-climbing function, which places significant load on the knee, also improved in 61.3 percent of patients.
"Using real-world clinical data from knee osteoarthritis patients ranging from mild to end-stage disease, we confirmed the potential for pain relief and functional improvement following MEST," Professor Kim said. "In particular, since treatment responses varied depending on the degree of intra-articular effusion, appropriate patient selection based on individual clinical characteristics will be important for optimizing treatment outcomes going forward."
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