Surgery for osteoarthritis is only considered when non surgical measures have failed to bring relief. There are various options for surgical treatment of osteoarthritis. What should be used in a particular patient is decided depending upon patient profile, his ambulatory status and his expectations from the treatment.
Joint Replacement
Joint replacement surgery should be reserved for patients with advanced Osteoarthritis in whom aggressive medical management has failed. In this joint is replaced by an artificial joint. It may be remarkably effective in relieving pain and incrasing mobility.
Osteotomy
Osteotomy is done away from the joint and is surgically more conservative. It can alter the joint loading mechanisms, can eliminate concentrations of peak dynamic loading and may provide effective pain relief in patients with hip of knee Osteoarthritis.
It is of greatest benefit when the disease is only moderately advanced.
Arthroscopy
Arthroscopic removal of loose cartilage fragments can prevent locking and relieve pain. Lavage of the Osteoarthritis knee with large quantities of saline or Ringer’s lactate to flush out fibrin, cartilage shards, and other debris may provide months of comfort for the patient whose joint pain has been refractory to analgesics, NSAIDs, and intraarticular steroid injections.
Chondroplasty
It also has gained some popularity as treatment for osteoarthritis, but well-controlled studies of its efficacy are lacking, and the fibrocartialge that resurfaces the abraded bone is inferior to normal hyaline cartilage in its ability to withstand mechanical loads.
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About Dr Arun Pal Singh
