Osteoarthritis is a painful joint condition that causes long-term misery to millions of Americans. If you’re suffering from hot, swollen, aching joints, LA Orthopaedic Specialists in Downtown Los Angeles, California, can help. They excel in finding effective treatments for osteoarthritis, and in performing joint replacement surgery when it’s the best option. Call LA Orthopaedic Specialists today to find out more or book an appointment online.

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What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative condition that develops after years of wear-and-tear on your joints.

Each joint in your body contains the ends of bones, which have a layer of tough, slippery cartilage covering them. The cartilage prevents your bones from rubbing together, so they slide smoothly and painlessly as you use your joints.

With the passing of time, the layers of cartilage gradually wear away, meaning the bones start to catch and rub against each other. The friction created leads to inflammation, which in turn causes the pain, swelling, and joint stiffness typical of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis usually affects people from middle age into old age. Because the general population of the United States is aging, osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, and shoulder are becoming far more common. 

How is osteoarthritis treated?

LA Orthopaedic Specialists begins your osteoarthritis treatment with the use of anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, and modifications to your daily activities. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections can also be helpful. 

It’s vital to keep moving when you have arthritis, to prevent the joints from becoming even stiffer and hastening immobility. However, joint overuse can cause pain flare-ups, so your provider helps you find the right balance between keeping active and resting.

If medication and physical therapy aren’t relieving your osteoarthritis symptoms, your LA Orthopaedic Specialists provider can use corticosteroids or polymer agent injections into the joints. These treatments reduce pain and inflammation but do need repeating after a while. 

When your osteoarthritis is at the stage where conservative treatments aren’t providing enough relief from symptoms, your provider can discuss your suitability for joint replacement surgery.

How does joint replacement surgery help with osteoarthritis?

Joint replacement surgery is one of the most effective treatments for relieving pain and improving the quality of life for patients who have severe osteoarthritis.

LA Orthopaedic Specialists focuses on your expectations with the aim of providing you with the most realistic outlook regarding the potential outcome of joint replacement surgery. 

They use evidence-based medical research to inform their decisions as to which surgical approach is best for you.

That could mean using open surgery techniques instead of minimally invasive approaches if the evidence shows that the long term outcome and functioning of your artificial joint is unlikely to benefit from such methods.

Some of the joint replacement surgeries at LA Orthopaedic Specialists perform regularly include:

  • Primary hip replacement
  • Hip resurfacing
  • Revision hip replacement
  • Partial knee replacement
  • Patellofemoral replacement
  • Total knee replacement
  • Revision knee replacement
  • Total shoulder replacement
  • Reverse shoulder replacement
  • Foot and ankle replacement

To get high quality, expert treatment for osteoarthritis, call LA Orthopaedic Specialists today or book your appointment online.