New Article Points to Breakthrough Nonsurgical Approaches for Knee Osteoarthritis

Breakthrough nonsurgical solutions, including Apos®, show promise in transforming knee osteoarthritis care and reducing chronic pain.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — In a field where progress has often felt frustratingly slow, a new article published in Arthritis & Rheumatology highlights two nonsurgical approaches that could reshape how doctors treat knee osteoarthritis (OA). The article, Examples of Treatments That May Be Highly Effective for Osteoarthritis: Do They Provide Insights Into Future Treatment Directions?, offers a rare glimpse of hope for millions living with chronic pain.

A Turning Point in Osteoarthritis Care:

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and one of the leading drivers of healthcare costs for employers, insurers, and patients alike. For many, traditional treatments – pain meds, physical therapy, injections – deliver only short-term relief. Surgery, while sometimes necessary, carries significant risks, costs, and long recovery times.

Against this backdrop, researchers examined two innovative nonsurgical strategies showing “highly effective” results in reducing pain:

1. Precision Biomechanical Gait Realignment: Apos, a footworn medical device with adjustable pods, helped patients correct dynamic knee misalignment, leading to meaningful reductions in pain.

2. GLP-1–Based Weight Loss Therapy: Weekly doses of semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist, not only promoted significant weight loss but also reduced knee pain with a strong clinical effect.

The impact sizes 0.7 for gait realignment and 0.8 for semaglutide-driven weight loss, place both strategies on par with gold-standard treatments in other conditions, such as methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis.

The Bigger Picture: An MSK Cost Crisis:

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions like OA are among the top cost drivers for the U.S. healthcare system, accounting for billions in annual spending and millions of lost workdays.

One of the solutions highlighted, Apos®, developed by AposHealth, is FDA-cleared, CE-marked solution, and already available in clinical practice. It has been studied in over 75 peer-reviewed publications and is included in international guidelines, including EULAR (The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology ) and National Institute for Care and Health Excellence, for knee OA management.

“Based on evidence from multiple studies, Apos® is a highly effective treatment for knee arthritis, relieving pain in most treated patients.”, reported Dr. David Felson, article author.

Implications for Employers, Insurers, and Patients:

The potential ripple effects extend beyond the clinic. Reducing the need for elective knee surgeries – often costing $30,000 to $50,000 per procedure- could save millions annually. Employers could see gains in productivity and fewer lost workdays, while patients benefit from improved mobility and quality of life.

“This article is a call to action,” said Ganit Segal, EVP and Chief Scientific Officer at AposHealth. “We can no longer accept an outdated care model. Integrating innovative approaches into mainstream treatment could transform patient outcomes while reducing the enormous economic burden on the healthcare system.”

What’s Next:

Experts believe the future of osteoarthritis care lies in combining biomechanical interventions with metabolic and anti-inflammatory strategies – a more integrated approach than most patients receive today. That shift can’t come soon enough for many living with knee OA.

About AposHealth:
Aposhealth® is a global leader in transforming musculoskeletal care through improved movement. Its flagship solution, Apos®, is FDA-cleared, CE-marked, and supported by extensive clinical research and guidelines.

Apos® delivers on healthcare’s triple aim, showing significant clinical outcomes, lower overall costs compared to today’s MSK standard of care, and positive patient experiences.

Original press release: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/847714173/new-article-points-to-breakthrough-nonsurgical-approaches-for-knee-osteoarthritis