Knee Osteoarthritis · Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE)
Alternatives to Knee Replacement
Explore nonsurgical, interventional, and surgical options for knee osteoarthritis. GAE is one option for appropriately selected patients; an individual evaluation helps determine which approach fits your knee and goals.
What Is Genicular Artery Embolization?
Genicular artery embolization, or GAE, is a minimally invasive, image-guided procedure for knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. Working through a small access point — not an open incision — an interventional radiologist reduces a small portion of the blood flow feeding the inflamed lining of the knee, which is one source of ongoing arthritis pain.
It is an outpatient procedure. There is no joint replacement and no large incision.
Potential benefits and limitations. GAE may reduce knee osteoarthritis pain and improve function in appropriately selected patients. It does not replace damaged cartilage, and some patients may still need joint replacement. Benefits vary; research into effectiveness and long-term outcomes is continuing.
Why this matters in Salt Lake City
Camber brings complementary expertise together so patients can discuss nonsurgical, interventional, and surgical options within one coordinated care plan. These are areas of care, not steps every patient must complete. Recommendations depend on your diagnosis, symptoms, prior treatment, overall health, and goals. Surgical evaluation may be appropriate without trying every nonsurgical option first.
Could GAE Be Right for You?
GAE is not for everyone, and the answer depends on your imaging, symptoms, prior treatment, and overall health. Published guidance from Dr. Frodsham’s practice describes candidates as people who may have:
- Knee pain lasting more than six months
- Osteoarthritis shown on an X-ray or MRI, generally in the mild-to-moderate range
- Pain that affects walking, stairs, standing, or other daily activities
- Inadequate relief from measures such as medication, injections, or physical therapy
- A wish to understand whether a minimally invasive option fits their knee
Advanced, severe osteoarthritis may be better addressed with a surgical evaluation. The only way to know is an individual clinical assessment; this page and quiz cannot determine eligibility.
What the Procedure Involves
- Before. A consultation and imaging review help determine whether GAE is appropriate.
- During. Under image guidance, a catheter is advanced through a small access point to arteries supplying the knee. Tiny particles reduce a small portion of the excessive blood flow associated with inflammation. The procedure is performed with mild sedation rather than general anesthesia.
- After. Patients generally go home the same day.
Recovery & What to Expect
Patients generally go home the same day. Published guidance from Dr. Frodsham’s practice recommends limited activity for the first 24 hours and a gradual return to activity over the next few days. Individual instructions may differ. Your evaluation, treatment plan, and follow-up are coordinated by the Camber clinical team, with regenerative, interventional, and orthopedic expertise working together throughout your care. When a procedure or surgery is performed at another facility, your Camber team remains involved in coordinating the next steps.
Performed by a Board-Certified Interventional Radiologist
GAE at Camber is performed by Aaron Frodsham, MD, a board-certified interventional radiologist with 15 years of clinical practice experience and fellowship training in interventional radiology at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital. Dr. Frodsham performs genicular artery embolization (GAE) as a minimally invasive treatment option for appropriately selected patients with knee osteoarthritis.
If surgery is appropriate, Bruce G. Evans, MD, provides orthopedic surgical evaluation. Gibran Borja, PA-C, provides joint and spine evaluation, nonsurgical management, and selected injections within his clinical privileges and scope of practice, in collaboration with his supervising/collaborating physicians. His surgical first-assist experience is from prior roles and is not a current Camber surgical assignment.
The Camber Difference
Nonsurgical, Interventional, and Surgical Expertise on One Team
Camber’s approach is intended to connect interventional and orthopedic perspectives so the conversation can consider a broader range of options.
Questions Worth Asking
Before You Decide
GAE is performed by Aaron Frodsham, MD, at Evolve, 4624 S. Holladay Blvd., Suite 202, Salt Lake City, UT 84117.
Will Camber push me toward surgery?
Camber is designed to bring nonsurgical, interventional, and surgical perspectives into the same evaluation. The goal is to discuss the options that fit your knee and your priorities, while being direct when a particular treatment is not appropriate.
What is GAE, and how is it different from a knee injection?
GAE does not inject treatment into the joint. It is a minimally invasive, image-guided procedure that uses a catheter to reduce a small portion of the blood flow feeding inflamed tissue around the knee. The two approaches work differently and may fit different situations.
Is GAE covered by insurance?
Coverage varies. Our team can walk you through what to expect for your situation before you commit to anything.
What if I’ve already had injections that didn’t work?
That’s one of the most common reasons people ask us about GAE. When injections are no longer providing lasting relief, surgery isn’t necessarily the only next step — GAE may be an option for appropriately selected patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Do I need a referral to see Camber?
No referral is required to request a consultation.
Do you offer care in Spanish or Portuguese?
Yes. Dr. Frodsham speaks fluent Portuguese and conversational Spanish. Gibran Borja, PA-C, is fluent in English and Spanish. You can discuss your care in the language you’re most comfortable in — with language support arranged according to your needs.
Wondering if GAE Is Right for You?
Take the candidate quiz or request a consultation — our team will give you a straight answer.
Refer With Confidence — and Stay Informed
Referring physicians receive a progress report after each visit. Contact the office to coordinate a referral and the secure transfer of records.