Randomized Trail to Assess the Effectiveness of an Off-Loading Knee Brace When Combined With Viscosupplementation in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

A randomized prospective study to assess the effectiveness of treating knee osteoarthritis with either a series of three viscosupplementation injections, an off-loading knee brace, or a combination of viscosupplementation and an off-loading knee brace. The viscosupplementation and off-loading knee brace are being used in accordance with their FDA approval. Subjects will be randomized to 1 of 3 treatment groups. The control group will receive a series of weekly (3 consecutive weeks) intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections. The second group will receive a series of weekly (3 consecutive weeks) intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections and an off loading knee brace. The third group will use the off loading knee brace alone. Subjects will complete the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Questionnaire (pain, stiffness, function) and VAS pain scale (measuring pain on movement) at baseline, day 7, day 14, 6 weeks and 3 months. Subjects in group 2 and 3 will be given a brace diary to record compliance.