Non - surgical treatment options for a young arthritic knee - A orthopedic surgeon’s perspective
Knee arthritis is so prevalent in our population with at-least 1 in 10 suffering from the problem when they hit their 50s. The problem becomes more pronounced as patients age, but treatment options also become more predictable and reliable. The incidence of the problem is less in younger population but from the treatment perspective it is more difficult to treat younger patients as we are looking at treatment options which are predominantly short term, unpredictable and less reliable. With a complete cure and reversal not possible at the moment, we can choose from a wide range of treatment options ranging from physical therapy, drugs, inject-able options to surgical management. Replacement surgeries, both partial and total knee replacement offer predictable long term pain relief and mobility in older patients with advanced cartilage damage (grade IV). For milder grades of arthritis (grades I - III), a variety of non-surgical and surgical (non replacement) options exist which can be catered to the needs and demands of patients. This article would help readers know about non-surgical treatment options for dealing with pain due to mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis.
