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oint pain, bone pain, aching muscles,
stiffness and an altered gait may
all be regarded by many in our
population as “arthritis”. The fact is that
there are many different types of arthritis
which by definition is an inflammation
of a joint (anything with “itis” denotes an
inflammatory reaction). What we denote
as arthritis is usually osteo-arthritis which
is a degeneration of the cartilage covering
the ends of the bones (“the gristle”) of
our joints. Depending on the degree of
wearing out of this cartilage, we will
have mild moderate or severe arthritis
with pain, swelling, reduced range of
motion of the joints and stiffness, along
with the inability to walk for long distances, climb stairs, stoop
and participate in sporting activity. This is especially so with acing
knees.
What should we do?
Obviously prevention is the key- so weight control, judicious
exercise (we should try to avoid high impact activities on hard
surfaces which may increase the wearing out of our knees and
hips) and care of our joints with proper nutrition and use of the
appropriate footwear for our chosen activity to keep fit.
If we do develop pain and or swelling of the joints – especially
the knees – then we need to seek medical advice. There are other
conditions which can cause the pain and swelling apart from
arthritis. There are meniscal tears, ligamentous injury (sprains), or
Knee Arthritis in the aging Trinbagonian
osteochondral lesions i.e. Focal damage to the cartilage (rather
than a wearing out) covering the bone. Your GP can usually guide
you on this but may need an expert opinion if the case is not
straightforward.
The orthopaedic surgeon is the “bone specialist” who will listen
to the history of the problem, examine you and order or review
investigations (X-rays, CT Scans or MRIs) to make a diagnosis.
Depending on the cause of the problem, the cure may be to adjust
our lifestyle: weight loss, activity modification, footwear change
including orthotics (i.e. special insoles), which along with the
appropriate use of medication, and physical therapy or exercise
may allow us to return to normal. If this is not the case then you
may need an arthroscopy (keyhole surgery) to look inside the knee
and treat the pathology or you may need a knee replacement. A
knee replacement denotes a resurfacing of the damaged ends (the
femur and tibia as well as the patella) so that bone does not rub on
bone. The metal and plastic surfaces remove this painful rubbing
and allow the patient to have a pain-free, improved motion, often
alignment and function of his or her knee(s).
The Fracture & Orthopaedic Clinic – 29a St. Clair Avenue, St. Clair
(Tel: 628 3643), has qualified specialists who can assist in the
management of your knee problem and they operate a virtual one-
stop shop offering medical consultation, X-rays, blood testing, MRI,
gait analysis for customized orthotics, nerve conduction testing
and soft tissue ultrasound. They also offer the full range of surgical
options for the efficient management of your knee condition. They
accept TTARP cards and give discounts to our senior citizens.
Visit Fracture and Orthopaedic Clinic website at
Dr. Godfrey Araujo
