U of U Health Studies Minimally Invasive Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain
Sep 08, 2026
For people living with knee osteoarthritis, pain can make everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, and exercising increasingly difficult. An estimated 5 million U.S. adults live with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis that doesn’t respond to non-surgical therapies. Treatments such as physical therapy, medications, and injections can help, but when those options no longer provide enough relief, patients may face a difficult decision about what comes next. University of Utah Health is studying an emerging, minimally invasive procedure called genicular artery embolization (GAE) that could offer another option for some of these patients. “For patients with painful knee osteoarthritis who have exhausted conservative treatments and are not good candidates for knee replacement, options can be frustratingly limited,” says Zachary McCormick, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at U of U Health and co-investigator on the study. “Genicular artery embolization is an emerging, minimally invasive treatment that may offer meaningful relief for some of these patients.”
How Does Genicular Artery Embolization Work?
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It occurs when cartilage and other tissues within a joint break down over time, which can cause pain, stiffness, and decreased mobility. In knee osteoarthritis, inflammation can also contribute to the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the lining of the knee joint. GAE targets these abnormal blood vessels with the goal of reducing inflammation and pain.
During the procedure, an interventional radiologist—a doctor who uses advanced imaging and X-ray guidance to perform minimally invasive procedures through tiny incisions—navigates a small catheter through the blood vessels to arteries supplying the knee. Tiny particles are then delivered through the catheter to reduce or stop blood flow to targeted abnormal vessels but keep blood flow to the normal arteries intact. Unlike knee replacement surgery, GAE does not remove or replace any part of the knee joint. “What excites me most about GAE is its potential to help millions of people living with knee arthritis who feel like they have run out of good options,” says Osman Ahmed, MD, an interventional radiologist at U of U Health and principal investigator of the study. “GAE is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical treatment designed for patients who continue to have knee pain despite treatments such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, or gel injections, but who either aren’t ready for, aren’t candidates for, or simply want to avoid knee replacement surgery.”
Putting GAE to the Test
U of U Health recently began treating patients with GAE and is currently enrolling participants in the SHAM-PAIN Trial: Knee Artery Embolization to Reduce Pain in Those Who Have Osteoarthritis, led by Ahmed. While a growing body of research suggests GAE may improve pain and function in people with knee osteoarthritis, researchers are still working to answer an important question: How much of that improvement is due to the procedure itself? The SHAM-PAIN Trial is designed to help answer that question by comparing GAE with a sham, or placebo, procedure. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either GAE or the sham procedure, and researchers assess their knee pain every three months for up to one year. Participants who initially receive the sham procedure have the option to receive GAE after three months. “We know that with virtually all treatments for pain, patients can experience some improvement simply from receiving a treatment—what is known as the placebo effect,” Ahmed says. “By comparing GAE with a carefully designed sham procedure, this study will help us determine the true benefit of GAE beyond that placebo effect.” Researchers also want to better understand which patients are most likely to benefit from GAE and where the procedure may fit within the broader treatment of knee osteoarthritis.
“Our randomized trial at the University of Utah will help us better understand if patients with unremitting pain from knee osteoarthritis are likely to benefit from GAE,”
Answering those questions is a multidisciplinary effort. The study brings together U of U Health specialists in interventional radiology, orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation, reflecting the range of expertise involved in caring for patients with knee osteoarthritis. “It has been an incredible privilege to launch the first NIH-sponsored study of genicular artery embolization here in Utah,” Ahmed says. “The University of Utah has a long history of advancing medicine through groundbreaking research, and we are proud to continue that tradition with this important study.”
Learn More
To learn more about genicular artery embolization at U of U Health or to schedule a screening, call 801-581-2967, option 1. Potential patients will complete a screening to determine whether GAE may be appropriate for them. U of U Health is also currently enrolling participants in the SHAM-PAIN Trial. Learn more about the SHAM-PAIN Trial and participation requirements.
Learn More About the SHAM-PAIN Trial
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