Arthritis Treatment Knee Osteoarthritis And Also The Epidemic Of Knee Replacements

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The most typical kind of arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA), influences more than twenty million Americans. Among the major 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 is made up of a matrix of proteoglycans (arrangements of proteins and glycogen molecules.) Moreover, there is a framework of tough collagen fibers. Within this proteoglycan/collagen structure are cells called chondrocytes.

The maintenance of normal cartilage integrity is very dependent upon the metabolic function of such chondrocytes.

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

The first stage that occurs in the entire 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. These cytokines activate destructive enzymes, called proteases which degrade the matrix and cause the chondrocytes to malfunction.

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

While this operation has largely been reserved for elderly patients, joint replacement surgical treatment is rising at an alarming rate amongst Middle-agers who wish to maintain a certain level of activity.

According to a recent report (Associated Press, Lindsay Tanner), "nearly one in twenty Americans older than 50 has an artificial knee- that's four million individuals!"

The federal Agency for Healthcare exploration and excellent 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 could 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 costly endeavor. Revision surgery takes longer, requires more expertise, is more difficult, and has a greater likelihood of complications.

Obviously, there's a public health situation if individuals 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.