Do You Need Surgery for Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a condition of wear and tear on the joints that tends to be progressive in nature.

“Arthritis tends to be age related, although not everyone who gets old gets it,” says Dr. Alan J. Graves, adult reconstruction specialist. “I see people in their 90s whose joints are great and people in their 40s whose joints are terrible.”

 While it is not curable, it is treatable - but surgery is far from your only option. Let’s explore the most common osteoarthritis treatments.

Nonsurgical Arthritis Help

Arthritis does not necessarily require surgery. Many people do well on a conservative course of NSAIDS, heat, and bracing.  Cortisone shots can work for a limited period of time but in some cases can actually make arthritis worse, says Dr. Graves. A series of viscosupplementation (hyaluronic acid) injections can also help alleviate symptoms for a time by lubricating the target joint.

Arthritis Surgery Types

If conservative measures do not offer relief, you and your doctor can discuss surgery for arthritis. This includes:

• Arthroscopy – This type of joint repair smoothes the edges of the joints to improve movement and reduce pain.
•  Joint replacement – In severe cases, your surgeon can remove a damaged joint and replace it with a prosthesis. This is most common in knees and hips.
•  Fusion – This procedure removes the ends of the two bones in the joint and then fuses the ends together until they heal into one unit. It is most common in smaller joints, such as fingers, wrists, and ankles.

Can You Prevent Arthritis?

“I think of it like the tires on your car,” says Dr. Alan J. Graves, adult reconstruction specialist. “You get new tires, there’s plenty of tread, but over time it wears down. If you take good care of your tires they tend to last longer.”

• Losing weight can help relieve stress on weight-bearing joints (hips and knees) and increase joint mobility.
• Regular exercise can keep joints flexible
• Supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin have not been clinically proven to work, but if you feel they help you, there is no reason to stop taking them

To learn more about our treatment options for osteoarthritis, click here.