The condition of arthritis is encountered by most of the people who are over the age of 50. Total knee arthroplasty is known to relieve arthritis pain and restore the joints.
Types Of Arthritis
There are three major types of arthritis: Osteoarthritis (OA), Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Post-traumatic Arthritis. Following is a brief description of each:
Osteoarthritis: This condition occurs when the articular cartilage covering the bones deteriorates and breaks down. It affects hands, feet, spine, hips and knees. Before 45 years of age, males are prone to this disease. After 55 years of age, females are more likely to get the disease. Osteoarthritis is characterized by the following symptoms:
- pain and stiffness of the joints when the person rests idle for a long duration
- stiffness is felt in the morning but won’t last for more than 15 minutes
- joint pain will grow worse during evening
- the affected person won’t be able to do any kind of leg exercises.
Research is in progress regarding the cartilage failure. As of now, doctors believe that the causes for the condition are: aging, obesity, joint injury and heredity.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is an autoimmune disease that affects joints and internal organs, causing chronic inflammation in the affected area. Instead of protecting the body against antigens and antibodies, the immune system begins to attack its own body tissues. Rheumatoid arthritis when left untreated causes joint destruction and functional disability. It is said to affect other organs of the body like eyes, heart, kidneys and lungs. It usually affects persons between 40 and 60 years of age. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by the following symptoms:
- joint stiffness remains for a prolonged period
- pain can be felt in multiple joints on both sides. For instance, both knees ache rather than one knee
- the skin around the affected joint seems red, swollen,stiff and painful
- the affected persons don’t feel like eating and remain tired throughout the day
- low grade fever may be noticed at times
- the person may develop lumps under the skin around the affected area.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis: When there is a bone and cartilage injury and it doesn’t heal properly, it may results in post-traumatic arthritis. It is said to develop several years after a serious fracture or torn ligament or a tear to the meniscus occurs. The symptoms are same as that of osteoarthritis.
Early Stage Treatments
A drug called acetaminophen is administered to the patients who are suffering from arthritis pain. However, accidental overdose of this drug is said to cause liver failure. If the acetaminophen fails to curb the pain, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed that also cause side effects like stomach upset and ulcer. At present, celecoxib is available in the market which is known to relieve arthritis pain. Though new medications have mushroomed in the market, it is always advisable to go for total join surgery when the disease severity mounts to such an extent that the patient is unable to sleep during nights and unable to perform any activity.
Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA)
In this surgery, a total knee implant is placed between the bony ends to relive pain. There are various techniques through which the surgery is performed. The major surgical procedures are discussed here.
- Unicompartmental Knee Implant Procedures: There are two compartments of the knee: lateral and medial. This procedure is performed to certain patients when only one compartment of the knee is affected by arthritis.
- Patello-Femoral Arthroplasty Procedures: In this surgery, the surgeons use metal and plastic implants to resurface the arthritis affected area.
- Gender-Specific Designs: Gender-specific implants are gaining popularity these days. According to researchers, the knee measurements of women are smaller in the media I-lateral to anterior-posterior ratio. They also have larger hip-knee-ankle angle. Implants specially designed to fit a women’s knee include less bulky anterior flange with wider trochlear-groove angle.
- Magnetic-Image-Resonance (MRI) Procedures: This is the latest technology in the field of knee implantation. An MRI scan of the affected knee is performed and given to the implant manufacturer who designs a cutting block for the femur and tibia. The manufacturers design the cutting block using the latest computer technologies. They deliver the component to the hospital where proper sterilization is performed. At the time of surgery, the surgeon makes the correct incisions using these cutting blocks. The correct incision size and implant size is determined by the MRI scan which is taken a week before the surgery. The patellar portion of the knee is resurfaced and a polyethylene component is placed in the patella. After the surgery, the implanted knee fits well and restore the joints.
Sources:
1. Total Knee Arthroplasty: Past Successed and Current Improvements. Sharon E. Hohler, RN, BSN, CNOR. Jan 2008, Vol 87, NO 1, Aorn Journal. http://www.aornjournal.org.
2. Osteoarthritis. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=90187. Accessed date: 2nd Nov 2009.
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