Arthritis Treatment Knee Osteoarthritis And The Epidemic Of Knee Replacements

The most typical variety of arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA), impacts more than twenty million Americans. One of the main targets for this disease is the knee.

OA affects articular cartilage, the gristle that caps the ends of long bones. Articular cartilage is a "pudding" that's made up of a matrix of proteoglycans (arrangements of proteins and glycogen molecules.) Additionally, there is a framework of tough collagen fibers. Within this proteoglycan/collagen structure are cells called chondrocytes.

The upkeep of normal cartilage integrity is extremely dependent on the metabolic function of all of these chondrocytes.

Osteoarthritis of knee is a wear and tear disease of articular cartilage. It arises due to the shortage of ability of cartilage to keep up with excessive breakdown.

The 1st stage that takes place in the process of OA is an alteration in the matrix. This causes loss of cartilage resiliency. Furthermore, proteins that promote inflammation (called inflammatory cytokines) are produced by the joint lining. Such cytokines activate destructive enzymes, called proteases which degrade the matrix and result in the chondrocytes to malfunction.

So far, the treatment of meniscus tear symptoms is mostly symptomatic. Numerous medicines, called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), analgesics (pain-killers), exercises, physical therapy, and injections are used to supply palliative relief. Ultimately, though, patients will go on to get knee replacement surgery.

While this operation has generally been reserved for elderly patients, joint replacement surgery is growing at an alarming rate between Seniors who want to maintain a certain level of activity.

According to a recent report (Associated Press, Lindsay Tanner), "nearly one in twenty Americans older than fifty has an artificial knee- that's four million people!"

The federal Agency for Healthcare Study and  superior has issued a recent report showing that knee replacements tripled in people ages 45 to 64 between 1997 and 2009. As it is admirable and speaks to the increased activity level in a group of patients that formerly would be sitting in rocking chairs, in another sense, it raises other issues.

This is mainly  disturbing simply because revision surgery (replacement of the replacement) will be needed in the future and this is a  way more hard and pricey endeavor. Revision surgery takes longer, requires more expertise, is more confusing, and has a greater likelihood of complications.

Undoubtedly, there is a public health issue if people with knee OA are happening to get an operation which will add incredible costs to an already overburdened healthcare system. More in a future article.