Pain and discomfort relief is possible for people suffering from gradual deterioration of the joints due to arthritis.
At the Henry Ford Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Department, our goal is to return our patients to an active lifestyle as quickly and painlessly as possible. We offer comprehensive care that includes prevention, early diagnosis and state-of-the-art treatment for problems resulting from arthritis or other painful conditions.
In fact, Henry Ford has been performing joint replacement surgeries since the early 1970s. During that time, we have found that the reconstruction or replacement of arthritic joints creates a dramatic improvement in the quality of life for patients with arthritic conditions.
Our joint replacement surgeons are also currently leading the nation with studies and new technologies, including FDA trials of new knee implants and replacement procedures, and ceramic-on-ceramic hip replacements.
Our physicians treat a wide variety of illnesses, including:
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Joint Replacement
Arthritis
Arthritis is a disease that causes pain and loss of movement of the joints. People of all ages, including children and young adults, can develop arthritis. The symptoms typically include swelling and pain or tenderness in one or more joints, redness or heat in a joint, limited joint motion, early morning stiffness and skin changes.
Although arthritis can apply to more than 100 different diseases and every joint in the body is susceptible, the hips, knees and even the shoulders are common targets. The three primary forms of arthritis that create pain and degeneration in these areas are: Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis and Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Pain relief and increasing function are the main considerations when dealing with arthritic joints. The orthopaedic surgeons at Henry Ford specialize in helping patients to manage the pain associated with arthritis, as well providing conservative and surgical options for treating the deformities and degeneration created by forms of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis, which is sometimes referred to as degenerative arthritis or joint "wear and tear," is a disease that causes the breakdown of joint tissue, leading to joint pain and stiffness.
Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, proper treatment can help relieve the symptoms and prevent or correct serious joint problems. Early stages of the disease can be treated with anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections into the joint, or splinting.
Surgery to reconstruct or replace the joint may be needed if arthritis causes chronic problems that cannot be controlled by medications, splinting or physical therapy. While surgical care will not cure arthritis or completely restore the joint to its natural health, it will ease the pain and make daily activities more manageable.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis can be one of the most disabling types of arthritis. Its course varies, from a few symptoms to severe and painful deformities. All joints of the body are potential targets.
Along with swelling and pain of joints, some of the early symptoms of the disease may include fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss and fever. Stiffness in the joints and surrounding muscles that lasts for several hours after getting up in the morning is a regular symptom. The joint lining becomes very inflamed and thickened, slowly destroying cartilage and bone. It can actually cause the joint to become deformed.
The goal of treatment is to stop the inflammation and prevent the destruction of joints. There are many medications for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes joint deformity or pain is sometimes so severe that surgery is the best alternative.
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that may cause joint or connective tissue damage. The primary outcome of the disease is arthritis, which may develop slowly or rapidly. The symptoms include swollen joints with pain on motion and sometimes to the touch.
The cause of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. The peak onset occurs between the ages of 2 to 5 years old and 9 to 12 years old.
The goal of treatment for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is to preserve joint mobility and function. The first line of treatment is medication, such as aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. If conservative treatments do not help, or if there is significant damage to the joint, surgical procedures may be necessary.
Joint Replacement
Nearly 450,000 total joint replacement procedures are performed in the United States each year. Of these,hip and knee replacements are the most common. Osteoarthritis and other forms of arthritis are the most common diagnosis for patients receiving both hip and knee replacements. Similar surgical procedures are performed on other joints, including the shoulder and elbow.
Are You a Candidate for Joint Replacement?
Your primary care physician (Family Doctor, Internist or Rheumatologist) should already be helping you cope with your arthritis before you consider joint replacement. Medication (anti-inflammatory pain relievers), low impact flexibility exercises such as a stationary bike or water exercises, altering your lifestyle to avoid high impact sports or job related injury, and cortisone joint injections can all be helpful in keeping your arthritic joint comfortable.
For overweight people, weight loss is the single most important factor in preserving hip and knee joint health and may delay or even allow you to avoid surgery. Ask your primary care doctor to prescribe a low-fat diet and a low impact exercise program.
If all these measures fail to improve your arthritis symptoms and your daily life becomes too painful, then it may be time to see an orthopaedic joint replacement surgeon to see if joint replacement surgery is right for you. Some patients may benefit from joint preserving procedures such as cartilage transplantation, corrective osteotomy and arthroscopic surgeries.
