When you’ve lived with arthritic knee pain for a long time, you don’t want another short-term patch. You want a treatment that actually changes how your knee feels day to day, not just for a few weeks. Genicular Artery Embolization, or GAE, is built with that goal in mind. It targets the inflammation that keeps osteoarthritis painful, and many patients experience relief that lasts much longer than typical injections. Still, it’s important to understand what “long-lasting” really means and why results can vary.
Most common knee pain treatments focus on calming symptoms for a while. Steroid injections reduce inflammation chemically, but they don’t change the blood-flow pattern that keeps inflammation returning. PRP may help some people heal better, but results depend heavily on biology and arthritis stage.
GAE works differently. In osteoarthritis, the lining of the knee can develop extra tiny blood vessels that keep inflammation active. GAE selectively blocks those overactive micro-vessels. By turning down that fuel source, the joint lining often quiets for a longer stretch, which is why many people experience sustained pain reduction.
GAE relief is rarely instant. Most patients begin noticing improvement within a few weeks. This timeline makes sense because the procedure doesn’t numb nerves or inject medication. Instead, it reduces abnormal blood flow, and the inflamed tissue needs time to settle. For some, the change feels gradual—less stiffness week by week, fewer flare-ups, easier walking without thinking about every step.
Full benefits often continue to build over the first one to three months.
Research so far shows a wide range of outcomes, but a consistent pattern:
Many patients get strong relief that lasts around one to two years.
Some feel meaningful improvement for a shorter window, such as six to twelve months.
Others continue to do well beyond two years.
This spread doesn’t mean the procedure is unpredictable in a bad way. It means osteoarthritis itself varies. Two knees can share the same diagnosis but have different inflammation levels, different wear patterns, and different activity demands.
GAE is best described as long-term symptom management, not a permanent cure. It can lower pain and improve function for an extended period, and for many people that time is enough to delay or avoid knee replacement.
Several factors influence durability:
Arthritis stage: People with mild to moderate osteoarthritis often get the strongest and most durable relief. Results can still help severe cases, but the more structural damage there is, the more limited any inflammation-focused treatment can be.
Inflammation level: GAE works best when inflammation and abnormal blood flow are major drivers of pain. If pain is mostly mechanical, relief may be less dramatic or shorter-lived.
Overall health and circulation: Blood vessel health, weight, and metabolic factors can affect how inflammation behaves long-term.
Activity habits after treatment: Patients who build steady, low-impact movement and strength often maintain results longer because a calmer knee is supported by stronger muscles.
In some cases, yes. Because GAE doesn’t remove bone or change the joint structure, repeating the procedure may be an option if symptoms return and imaging still shows inflammatory blood-flow changes. Whether that makes sense depends on why pain returned and how your arthritis has progressed, so it’s always a specialist decision.
Steroid injections usually help for weeks to a few months, sometimes less if arthritis is more advanced.
Gel injections can provide months of relief for some people, but not consistently.
PRP may last several months to a year in responders, but results are variable.
GAE is designed for longer durability, commonly around 12 to 24 months in many patients, with some experiencing benefit beyond that.
Those differences make GAE especially appealing for people who are tired of cycling through short-lived treatments.
So, how long does pain relief last after Genicular Artery Embolization? For many patients, the answer is meaningful improvement for a year or two, sometimes longer. The best way to know what that could look like for you is a thorough evaluation. Your imaging, arthritis stage, and pain pattern help predict whether GAE is likely to give you the kind of lasting relief you’re hoping for. Request an appointment with us today!
GAE can provide long-lasting relief, often for a year or more, but it is not a cure for arthritis. Osteoarthritis may still progress, so results can fade over time.
Relief duration depends on arthritis severity, how inflammation-driven your pain is, overall health, and how the knee is supported with movement and strength afterward.
For many patients, yes. By reducing pain and improving function, GAE may delay the need for replacement, though it doesn’t eliminate that possibility for everyone.
Sometimes. Because GAE doesn’t alter the joint structure, repeat treatment may be possible if you remain a good candidate. Your specialist will decide based on imaging and symptoms.
Steroid injections typically last a few months at most. GAE relief usually lasts longer for the right patient, often around one to two years.
