Approximately 43 million Americans suffer from arthritis and that number is expected to climb higher as our population ages.

By 2020, it is estimated that 60 million people will have arthritis due to the increased number of people over 65 years of age. But relief may soon be on the way thanks to research conducted by Highline Medical Center rheumatologist Dr. Barry Bockow who has co-authored a study exploring the effectiveness of a medication intended to help with osteoarthritis of the hip.

Dr. Bockow has been on the staff at Highline as a rheumatologist for 31 years and is also a clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and been a principal investigator in more than 100 clinical studies.

Dr. Bockow, along with other physicians worldwide, enrolled a total of 313 participants to determine the effects of the medication called hylan G-F 20. Hylan G-F 20 is made from hyaluronan, a substance occurring naturally in the joints that helps with lubrication and shock absorption.

During the study, half of the participants received an injection of hylan G-F 20 under X-ray guidance, followed by a repeat injection of the drug two weeks later. The other half received a steroid injection followed by a placebo injection two weeks later. It was a randomized double-blind study, meaning that neither patients nor investigators knew whether the research drug or the placebo was being injected. The results showed that hylan G-F 20 was useful in improving symptoms caused by osteoarthritis of the hip.

The study was published in June 2010 issue of The Physician and Sportsmedicine and the product is currently available with the trademark name Synvisc One.

To contact Dr. Bockow, call 206-246-7880. For more information about the medical center visit www.highlinemedicalcenter.org.