What are the surgery options for arthritis sufferers?
There are several benefits of joint replacement surgery for arthritis sufferers. The most important benefit is pain relief. However, surgery is only an option if other therapies (such as heat, exercise, and medication) don’t reduce the pain. Another benefit of surgery is improved movement and use of the damaged joint. Even the appearance of deformed joints can sometimes be improved by surgery. With changing technology, new surgical procedures are making joint replacement easier and more effective than ever before. An example of this is Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty. Instead of replacing the entire knee joint, only the diseased compartment of the knee is resurfaced and rebuilt. This procedure significantly reduces patient’s pain levels and rehabilitation duration, compared with traditional knee replacements. Ideal candidates for this type of surgery are over 60 years of age and have osteoarthritis of the knee involving one compartment. See our People with Arthritis page for a first
