Fighting an Orthopaedic Giant: Let’s Talk About Treatment for Knee and Hip Arthritis

Knees and hips tend to be problem areas for many people as they age. And it makes sense. Over the years, we put a significant amount of stress on these major joints. Smaller injuries take their toll on cartilage and genetics play a role too. It’s easy to understand why arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability.

Naming the Giant

While inflammatory arthritis types, such as Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus and Psoriatic arthritis, can also cause chronic pain and severe immobility, the most common type of arthritis experienced in the knees and hips is Osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease.

The breakdown of cartilage in the joint causes pain, swelling, stiffness, inflammation, instability and often deformity. Severe cases of knee and hip arthritis can also interfere significantly with a person’s lifestyle as well.

With all this in mind, we now turn to the important topic of treatment for knee and hip arthritis. We know that’s why you’re here, so let’s get right down to business!

Time to Fight: Treatment for Knee and Hip Arthritis

Prevention: Here’s a bonus tip for those who may be reading this information before arthritis has actually set in. You’re in luck because there are some key steps you can take to prevent the onset of this disease. One such step is to proactively address any existing cartilage injuries with the proper treatment. This will likely be an arthroscopic surgery that will smooth the damaged cartilage or even replace it with healthy cartilage from another part of the body. By taking care of cartilage injuries appropriately, you can reduce your risk of developing arthritis later.

Treatment for Knee and Hip Arthritis

Non-Operative Treatments: If knee and hip arthritis are detected early, conservative treatment option may prove successful in alleviating pain and restoring mobility. These include any combination of the following kinds of non-operative treatments:

• Rest and activity modification
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Physical therapy
• Anti-inflammatory medication
• Cortisone injections

Surgical Treatments: On the other hand, many patients begin to address their knee and hip arthritis long after it has developed and has taken a toll on the cartilage within the joints. In these cases, when the knee or hip is worn to the point that is can no longer perform its usual functions, then a surgical solution may be best.

During a total hip or knee replacement surgery, a patient is essentially given a brand new joint using prosthetic pieces made of metal, ceramic and medical grade plastic. Depending on the severity of your arthritis, this kind of joint arthroplasty may be the right approach as a treatment for knee and hip arthritis.

You’re Invited!
On October 18th, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute is hosting a live seminar event on this topic of hip and knee treatment options. Our free educational lectures are geared toward providing you with lots of great resources and information in a one hour session that includes question and answer time with an orthopaedic specialist!

If you’re looking for more information or want to get some specific questions answered about knee and hip arthritis, we encourage you to register today. For more information, please visit us here or contact us at 1-800-321-9999.