What is arthritis?

Arthritis is a condition where one or more joints become enlarged and tender due to inflammation. Joint pain and stiffness are the most common symptoms of arthritis, which generally worsen with age. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the two most common forms of arthritis. Cartilage, the firm, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint, breaks down due to osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis develops when the body's immune system destroys the joints, starting with the joint lining.

What are the symptoms of arthritis?

The most significant symptoms of arthritis occur in the joints. Signs vary depending on the type. Symptoms commonly include:

• Pain
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Redness
• Loss of range of motion

What are arthritis treatments?

The purpose of arthritis treatment is to increase joint function and reduce symptoms. You may need to try a few different therapies or treatment combinations before determining what works best for you.

Types of treatment include:

• Medications
• Physical therapy
• Exercise
• Surgery
  • Joint repair - Joint surfaces can be polished or repositioned to alleviate pain and increase function in some cases. These treatments are frequently done arthroscopically, with small incisions above the joint.
  • Joint replacement - The injured joint is removed and replaced with an artificial one in this surgery. Hips and knees are the most typically replaced joints.
  • Joint fusion - This procedure is more typically used to treat smaller joints, such as the wrist, ankle, and fingers. It splits the ends of the joint's two bones before locking them together till the joint heals into a single rigid unit.

Knee arthroplasty

Knee replacement, commonly known as complete knee replacement or knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure that repairs a knee that has been destroyed by arthritis. The extremities of the bones that make up the knee joint and the kneecap are capped with metal and plastic pieces.

Hip arthroplasty

During hip replacement surgery, the surgeon removes the damaged pieces of your hip joint and replaces them with metal, ceramic, or rigid plastic components—this prosthesis aids in the reduction of pain and the enhancement of function. If your hip pain interferes with your daily activities and nonsurgical treatments haven't helped or are no longer effective, hip replacement surgery, also known as total hip arthroplasty, may be an option. Arthritis deterioration is the most common reason for hip replacement.