Unfortunately, osteoarthritis (OA) is more likely to affect women than men. By nature, women face a triple threat of risk factors when it comes to arthritis: biology, genetic predisposition, and hormones. Many women past age 50 discover Osteoarthritis is the reason for their creaking knees, aching backs, and sore fingers. As osteoarthritis worsens over time, bones may break down and develop growths called spurs. These extra bits of bone feel like hard lumps and may form around the affected joint. While in men, arthritis in their hips is more common, in women the knees or hands are more vulnerable.

Pain, swelling, or stiffness can make it difficult to perform day-to-day tasks. Simple acts like making the bed, opening a can of food, holding a plate or a cup of tea or driving can become difficult. Patients with severe arthritis in their hands are unable to even flip the pages of a newspaper. In cases where arthritis inflicts the lower body joints; activities such as walking, climbing stairs, performing exercises, and lifting objects may become difficult. Moreover, people with osteoarthritis experience more falls and have a greater risk of fracture than those without osteoarthritis.

While one can control arthritis, it is sometimes difficult to completely cure or eradicate it. An arthritis patient must take extreme care of his health and make necessary lifestyle changes that will benefit in keeping arthritis under control such as:

1. Keep the joints moving – Sedentary lifestyle with minimum activity makes joints stiffer. Light stretching and slow walks keep the joints flexible and moving.
2. Maintain the right posture – Long hours of sitting hunched over your laptop can create havoc with both your knees & shoulder joints. Similarly standing in a stooped manner adds pressure to the neck and back which can worsen your issues in the long run.
3. Maintain healthy body weight – Being overweight or obese can increase arthritis and contribute to arthritis pain, especially if one is a knee patient.
4. Quit smoking – Smoking causes stress on connective tissues which can further increase arthritis pain. Give it up!
5. Avoid high-impact activities that can add stress to your muscles such as running, jogging, jumping, high-powered sports, etc.
6. Over-the-counter pain medications can help relieve occasional bouts of pain triggered by over-exertion. But they have side effects on Kidneys and other organs therefore make sure you visit an orthopedic specialist if the pain is recurring and refuses to subside with medication.

If a person is plagued with arthritis symptoms like recurring pain in the joints, stiffness, lack of flexibility, difficulty in performing simple tasks, consistent fatigue, low-grade fever, aches while moving any joint, constant creaking or grinding noises, limited or no relief from painkillers; immediately consult the best orthopedic surgeon who can carry out the necessary tests to determine if the patient is experiencing generic pains or is it the stage of arthritis.

A proper diagnosis of the ailment is the first step toward a successful treatment. In order to detect if you are suffering from joint conditions like arthritis or osteoporosis, your doctor will consider all your symptoms, physically examine you to check for swollen joints or loss of motion, and opt for blood tests and X-rays to confirm the diagnosis. X-rays and blood tests will also help distinguish the type of arthritis you have. For example, most people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) have antibodies called Rheumatoid Factors (RF) in their blood which can be detected through a series of proper tests. Similarly, X-rays are best used to diagnose osteoarthritis, typically revealing a loss of cartilage, bone spurs, and in extreme cases, bone rubbing against bone. DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scan is very helpful in assessing bone density authentically with minimal radiation exposure.

Broadly, the range of treatment for arthritis includes rest, occupational or physical therapy, exercise, drugs, and sometimes surgery to correct joint damage. Depending on the severity of the condition, the orthopedic doctor will determine the course of treatment. If arthritis is detected in the beginning stages itself, then proper medication, physiotherapy, and lifestyle changes may suffice in controlling your arthritis. But if the stage is severe, then joint replacement surgery is often the best and most successful treatment for arthritis.

1. Do not rely excessively on over-the-counter pain killers to treat your arthritis. They may offer temporary relief but are not the solution to cure the disease.
2. Visit your orthopedic doctor and share all the symptoms and issues you are facing with your joints.
3. Practice a healthy lifestyle – good eating habits, regular exercise, balanced sleep patterns and eradicate alcohol and smoking completely.
4. Do not get into high-impact activities that can add added pressure to the joints.
5. Ensure proper post-operative care and regimen.

In current times orthopedic surgeries have become common in all parts of the world. Higher incidences of arthritis as well as sophisticated and technologically advanced treatments available today have made it possible to help patients deal with their arthritis in a more holistic manner. The most common orthopedic surgeries are of the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, and ankle.

An orthopedic doctor will only recommend surgery if all other treatment modalities have failed to relieve the patient’s discomfort or to restore mobility and joint function. If arthritic pain and inflammation become persistent and the arthritic joints are majorly damaged, then the answer may lie in surgical joint replacement.

The affected joints can be replaced with reliable and good quality artificial joints made of inert metals and ceramic materials which are non-allergic and better accepted by the body. All the major and smaller joints can be surgically treated to offer the patient a pain-free life.

A knee replacement surgery is done when the joints in your knees have extremely damaged and medication or non-surgical methods will not suffice further. In knee replacement surgery; damaged, worn or diseased cartilage and bone in your knee joint are replaced with an artificial joint to enable the movement similar to that of a natural joint.

One may require either a total or a partial knee replacement depending upon the condition of the knee joints. In Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery, both sides of the knee joints are replaced with artificial implants. This is usually performed when the joint is severely damaged by Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Post-traumatic Arthritis or due to Vascular Necrosis.

In a normal joint, the joint surface is covered by cartilage that provides a smooth articulating surface that allows for smooth movement within the joint, whereas in arthritic joint the cartilage is gradually worn out which causes the bones to rub against one another leading to pain and restricted range of motion. The goal of the surgery is to relieve pain and restore the normal functioning of the joint. Total joint replacement can be performed through two approaches: conventional approach or minimally invasive approach.

In the conventional approach, an incision is made over the affected joint. The arthritic part of the joint is removed and prepared to receive the artificial components. The artificial components are fixed in place and the muscles and tendons are then repaired and the skin is closed. It normally has longer recovery time due to more amount of bone cutting and risk of damage to supporting structures and soft tissue.

With advancements in technology, a minimally invasive approach has been developed in recent years where surgery is performed through smaller incisions. With the help of technology the precision has improved and there is a higher grade of accuracy. Advantages of the newer approach are lesser soft tissue damage, preserved bone, ligaments and soft tissue, minimal pain, quicker recovery and faster rehabilitation of the patient.

Partial Knee Replacement is also known as Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty (UKA) is a surgical treatment option that replaces only the damaged portion of the knee when only one compartment of the knee is affected while conserving knee ligaments and unaffected cartilage. It is a minimally invasive procedure in which only the diseased or damaged joint areas are removed and replaced with artificial surfaces while leaving the healthy parts of the joint intact. This treatment is followed only when all possible conservative means of treatment such as rest, anti-inflammatory medications, physiotherapy have been ineffective in resolving the symptoms.

There are three basic steps in the procedure:

Prepare the bone. Your surgeon will first map the damaged area and use surgical burs to remove the diseased part from the damaged compartment of your knee.
Position the implants. The removed cartilage and bone are replaced with coverings that recreate the surface of the joint. These parts are typically held to the bone with cement.
Insert a spacer. A meniscus substitute insert is placed between the two metal components to create a smooth gliding surface that helps improve the condition of your joint.

Technology has come a long way in the field of medical practice. In traditional open surgery, the surgeon makes one large cut to see the part of the body that they’re operating on. On the other hand, minimally invasive surgery allows the surgeon to use techniques that limit the size of incisions which they need to make on the patient’s body. Here through a smaller incision the joint structure is exposed, minimal soft tissue and supporting structure damage, blood loss is also less and the infection rate is lower and recovery is faster.

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive form of surgical procedure doctors use to diagnose and treat joint problems. The technique of arthroscopy involves inserting the Arthroscope, a small tube that contains optical fibers and lenses as small as a tip of a pen, through a tiny incision in the skin into the joint to be examined. This way the most minimal amounts of cut are required. The arthroscope is connected to a video camera and the interior of the joint is seen on a television monitor. Arthroscopy patient shows faster recovery. The conditions in which Arthroscopy is recommended are limited which mainly include Meniscal repair, ACL or PCL repair, etc. There is a high success rate with limited scope.

Arthroplasty is a surgical procedure performed by an orthopedic surgeon that alters or completely replaces a joint in the body, commonly known as joint replacement surgery. This is usually done to restore normal motion and relieve pain in a malformed or diseased joint, such as the hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, or ankle.

Depending on the severity, the surgeon will determine whether Partial or Total Arthroplasty is required. If the damage is restricted to one compartment, the orthopedic surgeon will do the resurfacing of only one part of the joint and replacing it with an implant prosthesis in an attempt to restore joint function called Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty. In the Total Knee Arthroplasty, more than one compartment is affected, therefore the damaged areas are cleaned resurfaced, and replaced with implant prosthesis for pain relief and restoration of joint function.

Robotic Knee Surgery is a highly advanced medical practice that has revolutionized joint replacement surgeries in the field of orthopedics. Dr. Narendra Vaidya is the pioneer of Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement Surgery in India. The technology adds an unparalleled level of surgical accuracy and precision in knee replacement surgery and has shown significantly improved accuracy of alignment and joint-line restoration.

Firstly, it helps the surgeon create a highly individualized plan that is specific to the unique shape and structure of the knee. In robotic-assisted surgeries, no endless scans or x-rays are required. Thus one is not exposed to the potentially harmful radiation experienced in this type of imaging.

The second benefit is robotic assistance. The surgeon uses robotic assistance to physically remove only the damaged bone, preparing the site for the prosthesis, before placing and adjusting your knee implant. This combination of advanced technology results in more accuracy and better long-term functional outcomes.

The accurate and precise nature of robotic-assisted surgery comes with several benefits:

More accurate implant positioning
Improved safety and reduced risk of injury to adjacent tissues
Small incisions, which can result in shorter hospitalization and less pain.
Replacing only the damaged components of the knee joint results in a more natural Joint structure and movement of the joint.
It also facilitates quicker recovery and returns to normal activities.

With advanced technologies and developments, sophisticated treatments are preferred over traditional methods. Similarly, Robotic Knee Replacement surgeries are becoming increasingly popular because of the following reasons:

It helps the surgeon to conduct the surgery with higher accuracy owing to tech support, while in conventional knee surgeries it is totally dependent on the surgeon’s visual observations.
RoboticAssistedKnee Surgery is minimally invasive therefore postoperative blood loss is lesser further adds to faster recovery.
In Robotic Assisted Knee surgery, proper mapping of the damaged part is possible and the surgeon has to clean and resurface only the damaged portion and ligaments, patella, and supporting structures are preserved, there is less damage to other tissues, which further contributes to faster recovery.
Length of stay is for a lesser period than conventional, post-operative rehabilitation is easier and deformity is corrected completely.

Yes, today with modern medical treatments like Robotic Assisted Knee Surgery, recovery time is noticeably faster in patients and many start walking quite early post-surgery. Basic post-operative care is mandatory for every patient and following a proper exercise regime as per the advice of physiotherapists, ice pack application, basic drug support, and a nutritious balanced diet further help in speeding up the recovery process. After Minimal Invasive Robotic Assisted Knee Replacement Surgery, there is no need for prolonged resting, rigorous physiotherapy, and heavy medicines. Instead, the patient is made to walk on the same or the next day of the surgery and even the hospitalization period is very less. The patient enjoys quick recovery in the comfort of his home and is able to perform all his activities by himself.