Degenerative Arthritis / Osteoarthritis

Repetitive use of the joints over the years causes damage to the cartilage that leads to joint pain and swelling. For some individuals, it may be hereditary. For others, it can result from injury, infection, excessive exercise, and obesity

Symptoms

Swelling, and warmth in the joint

Stiffness and pain in the knee

Decrease in mobility of the knee

Creaking, crackly sound that is heard when moving the knee

Tests and Dignoisis

Physical exam by your doctor

X-Rays can show bone and cartilage damage as well as the presence of bone spurs

MRI scans show detailed information on cartilage and tendons that X-Rays cannot

Treatment

Non-surgical treatment

When the condition is relatively less in severity, or if surgery is not an option, treatments such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or hyaluronic acid injection could be used to promote relief of symptoms. To prevent excessive myatrophy, exercise therapy is also recommended

Surgical treatment

Arthroscopy
If the arthritis is not yet severe, then we use arthroscope to remove damaged cartilage or loose particles, clean the bone surface, and repair any other types of tissue if those damages are discovered.

High Tibial Osteotomy
An osteotomy is a procedure that aims to make the knee alignment better by changing the shape of the bones (correct O legs). This type of surgery may be recommended if your knee is misaligned and have damage primarily in one area of the knee. It aims to prevent worsening of arthritis by reducing unbalanced weight pressure. Recently, this option has been especially recognized for its exceptional results.

Unilateral Knee Arthroplasty
Instead of replacing the entire joint, only the damaged part of the knee cartilage is replaced with a prosthesis. This is for circumstances where the arthritis has not extended to the entire knee.

Total Knee Arthroplasty
In cases of advanced or end-stage arthritis, total knee replacement surgery may be recommended. This surgery is designed to replace this damaged cartilage or gliding surface as well as any associated loss of bone structure or ligament support.