Questions that matter
- Where exactly is the pain?
- How long has it been present?
- Walking, stairs, sleep or rest pain?
- Locking or instability?
- Prior PT or injections?
Knee Pain / GAE
When knee arthritis hurts more than the X-ray explains.
Genicular artery embolization (GAE) is a minimally invasive treatment being used for selected patients with painful knee osteoarthritis. It targets abnormal inflammatory blood flow around the knee — not the bone-on-bone mechanics themselves.
Osteoarthritis 101
GAE treats inflammation-related pain — not every cause of knee pain.
The best candidates generally have imaging-supported osteoarthritis, pain that has persisted despite conservative care, and symptoms that fit the knee rather than hip, spine, inflammatory arthritis or another diagnosis.
Important alternatives
- Exercise / physical therapy
- Weight and activity modification
- Topical or oral pain medicines
- Joint injections
- Knee replacement when appropriate
Why It Hurts
Why knee pain can come from different tissues.
Joint / mechanical
Osteoarthritis, meniscus disease, alignment and instability often hurt with loading, stairs, walking or specific movements.
Inflammatory
Synovitis and inflamed periarticular tissue can contribute to aching, swelling and pain that may be greater than the structural image alone suggests.
Nerve / referred
Hip disease, lumbar nerve irritation and other referred sources can be felt around the knee even when the knee is not the main source.
Other causes
Tendon disease, bursitis, crystal arthritis, fracture, infection and systemic inflammatory disease require different treatment pathways.
Knee Pain Snapshot
Use this to organize the orthopedic history before an embolization consultation.
Treatment Spectrum
GAE belongs between conservative care and surgery for selected patients — not in place of a complete orthopedic evaluation.
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