Overview

• In its updated assessment, the Medizinischer Dienst Bund says pain relief from hyaluronic injections is so small that it is not clinically meaningful.
• Reported risks range from swelling and temporary joint pain to serious joint infections and cardiac problems, outweighing the limited benefit.
• Of 60 self-pay medical services evaluated, 31 received negative ratings, 26 were judged unclear due to insufficient studies, and only three were deemed tentatively positive.
• Orthopedics accounts for roughly €397–400 million of the IGeL market, with common offerings such as shockwave therapy for calcific shoulder or tennis elbow rated as unclear.
• The service’s chair, Stefan Gronemeyer, criticized promotional materials in practices and urged independent, evidence-based patient information.