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SIR 2026

Traditional Poster

Pain Management/MSK

Session: Traditional Poster Presentations

598 - The Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Clinical Outcomes in Genicular Artery Embolization

Monday, April 13, 2026
12:10 PM - 1:10 PM ET
Purpose: Genicular artery embolization (GAE) is a nonsurgical, minimally invasive procedure utilized in treatment options for medically resistant knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in poor surgical candidates or those looking to avoid or delay total knee arthroplasty{1,2}. Previous studies have reported that the prevalence of OA and resulting outcomes are affected by socioeconomic and geographic disparities, however this has not been reported in GAE {3}. Here, we report patient SES, based upon area deprivation index (ADI), effects on clinical outcomes in GAE patients.

Materials and Methods: 48 GAE patients were retrospectively analyzed from September 2021 to April 2025. GAE was performed using standard techniques which included 200-µm polyethylene glycol microspheres or lipiodol for embolization in all cases. Patients were followed at 1, 3, and 6 months post-treatment. Patients were classified by ADI, which demonstrates SES deprivation based on zip code of residence. A cut-off of 50th percentile differentiated “Advantaged” or “Disadvantaged” groups. Clinical outcomes were assessed with the Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scoring system at pre-GAE visit and up to 6 months post-GAE. WOMAC scores were compared between groups utilizing student’s t-test with p≤0.05 as significant.

Results: Patients were classified as Advantaged (n=13) or Disadvantaged (n=24) with 11 patients unable to be classified and excluded. All cases were technically successful. Within the Advantaged group, the mean WOMAC score prior and 6 months after GAE was 64.0 ± 16.4 and 42 ± 22.2, respectively (p< 0.05). In the Disadvantaged group, the mean WOMAC score prior and 6 months after GAE was 59.6 ± 18.7 and 54.1 ± 21.2, respectively (p >0.05). T-tests comparing the WOMAC scores demonstrated a significant reduction of scores for Advantaged patients compared to Disadvantaged patients (p< 0.05).

Conclusion: Socioeconomic Advantaged vs Disadvantaged status in patients undergoing GAE for KOA demonstrated a significant difference in outcome scores. Advantaged patients had significantly larger reductions in these scores compared to Disadvantaged patients. This regional data may reflect the benefit of future efforts to improve healthcare access and evidence-based management patterns. Socioeconomic barriers may contribute to clinical outcomes following GAE. This data emphasizes the benefit of studying healthcare access and neighborhood-level factors to overcome barriers with respect to post-operative outcomes after GAE.