Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Arthritis Knee Surgery

By Amy Clark

Arthritis is an affliction described as the development of irregular inflammations in the human body's joints. The hips, fingers, elbows and knees are the common targets of this condition.

Types of Arthritis

Arthritis has varied forms. Osteoarthritis (OA), the most widespread kind of arthritis, is set off primarily by old age, but may also develop due to a variety of infections, lesions, or malformations, of the knee. The other less common but similarly devastating types of arthritis are as follows: gouty arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Treatment Options for Arthritis

Various types of treatment are available for arthritis symptom management. These can range from physical therapy, medications, to surgical procedures.

The latter, more commonly known collectively as arthritis knee surgery, has a range of more specialized forms - for example, knee osteotomy, arthroscopy, and knee replacement surgery. The particular form of surgery will depend on many factors, such as the degree and severity of the pain.

What is Knee Arthritis Surgery?

Based on the state of the arthritis pain, the most recommended option for treatment is frequently arthritis knee surgery.

Arthritis frequently develops in steps, progressively damaging the cartilaginous tissue in the tissue joints. In its early stages, anti-inflammatory remedies and exercise programs are the chief treatment modes. However, as the condition worsens, the surgical option turns into a crucial and urgent recourse.

What is Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy is considered as a less invasive surgical option in treating arthritis. The procedure involves the repair of ligaments and cartilage tissue damage in the knee as well as the other joints. In the surgery, a tiny apparatus akin to an endoscope will be inserted in the affected region through a tiny incision.

Although the success of this type of procedure is still a point of contention, several supporters verify the benefits efficiency of the surgery when conducted in appropriate scenarios.

Signs that an arthritis suffer needs an arthroscopy procedure are: painful knee pops, instability of the knee joint or knee wobbling, a prickling feeling when moving the knee joint, and inflammation or swelling of the affected areas.

Knee Osteotomy

In the case of younger individuals, these arthritis sufferers only commonly experience degradation of just one area of the knee joint. For this reason, they are not encouraged to undergo complete knee replacement surgery.

Occasionally, arthritis also manifests as knock-legged or bow-legged aspects, which consist of a joint reorientation, so that the joint's weight center is moved from its damaged part to its healthy part. In these cases, osteotomy is often the best option.

What is Partial Knee Replacement Surgery

Called a "hybrid" of both osteotomy and complete knee replacement surgery, the procedure known as partial knee replacement surgery is to a large extent less invasive than complete knee replacement surgery. The surgery is executed through replacing the degraded area of the afflicted articulation with prosthetics, as the healthy areas are left alone to allow for healing. This procedure is advised for severe cases of arthritis confined to specific portions of articulation. Compared to complete knee replacement, this surgical procedure requires smaller cuts and calls for faster period of recovery.

What is Complete Knee Replacement Surgery

For a number of arthritic cases, the best choice is complete knee replacement surgery. This procedure requires completely removing and replacing the injured joint tissue with plastic or metal prosthetic components.

Potential Risks of Arthritis Knee Surgery

Like a good number pf major surgeries, patients who have undergone arthritis knee surgery have the potential to develop thrombosis, nerve damage, infections and various anesthesia risks.

Furthermore, this type of procedure entails a number of post-surgery risks, such as joint instability, fracture/dislocation of the kneecap, as well as diminished mobility or decreased range of motion.

The Pros and Cons of Arthritis Knee Surgery

Regardless of the potential risks associated to the surgery, arthritis knee surgery offers a lot of pros that may benefit arthritis sufferers. The primary advantages are, to name a few, significant pain relief, increased mobility, plus a significant betterment of the patient's overall wellbeing. Additionally, in a period of six months after the surgery, the formerly affected joint can most likely recover fully.

On the other hand, this type of surgical procedure also provides a few perceptible cons. For example, patients may possibly experience soreness and discomfort in the period of time after the surgical procedure. Moreover, using a prosthetic joint may be noisy and may draw some attention. In some cases, movement difficulties may potentially arise. Similarly, depending on the prosthetic type used, the fake knee may have limited usability, such as only 10 to 15 years before a new replacement knee is needed.

Overall, however, if you evaluate the discomfort manifested in isolated patients against the huge probability for successful results, it is fairly easy to realize that the pros of this procedure absolutely outweigh its cons. - 15438

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