Cartilage-protecting and/or cartilage-building drugs help in the early stages, when living cartilage tissue is still present.

Acute inflammation in arthritis of the knee is treated by irrigating the joint with cortisone preparations. Local-acting analgesics are also injected directly into the joint. Injections of hyaluronic acid into the knee joint act as a "joint lubricant" and can provide patients with long-lasting relief. The benefits of this treatment have been demonstrated in several studies.