Unit 1 - Joint conditions Flashcards
What causes OA?
Excessive wear of articular cartilage resulting from a breakdown of the balance between wear & tear process in joint
What is primary OA
Of unknown cause
Most common
What is secondary OA?
Of known cause
Causes of secondary OA?
- Congenital - congenital dislocation of the hip.
- Childhood - Perthe’s disease, infection.
- Trauma - fracture into a joint.
- Metabolic - gout, crystal arthropathy.
- Infection - TB (tuberculosis).
- Chronic inflammatory - rheumatoid.
Presentation of OA?
Pain (during activity)
Loss of function
Stiffness
Conservative management of OA?
Weight loss
Walking stick
Physio
Analgesia
What surgical options are available for OA?
(Nothing)
Arthrodesis
Osteotomy
Arthroplasty
What does arthrodesis involve?
Surgical stiffening of a joint
Useful in young person with painful & limited RoM
Useful in smaller joints
What does an osteotomy involve?
Surgical realignment of a joint, aiming to redirect forces across a joint to more evenly distribute load
Good operation in young people who have retained a good range of motion and have a reasonable preservation of articular cartilage
What is arthroplasty?
Joint replacement
Literally means ‘to reshape joint’
Limitations of arthroplasty?
Only suitable for elderly inactive people
From the moment it is put in, it begins to wear out (no regenerative capacity)
Arthroplasty:
New joint must be capable of?
Functional & pain free range of motion
Able to withstand forces placed upon it without undue wear & tear
Same stability as natural joint
General complications of undergoing arthroplasty?
Chest infection/UTI
Pressure sores
DVT/PE
Specific (early) complications of arthroplasty?
Dislocation - immediately the prosthesis will not be fully supported by soft tissues. Muscles and their proprioceptors may be out of action, through surgical trauma and pain inhibition. A capsule of scar tissue will not yet have formed around prosthesis
DVT - give prophylaxis (heparin, support stockings)
Infection - S. aureus, S. albus. Prevent with ABx prophylaxis & ultra-clean operating environment
Specific (late) complications of arthroplasty?
Infection - S. aureus & albus (as with early) but also may be blood borne because of contaminations of blood stream commonly encountered in normal life
Loosening & wear
What causes RA?
Unknown
Links with abnormalities of the immune system and there is growing evidence that there may be a genetic abnormality which causes an abnormal reaction to certain types of bacteria
Presentation of RA?
Severe pain, swelling & joint deformity
Morning stiffness (improving through the day)
Primarily affects small joints of hands and feet (symmetrically)
Higher incidence in women
Role of surgery in RA?
Soft tissue surgery (synovectomy) - removing synovium useful in preventing damage to tendons & tendon sheaths (useful in early disease with retained movement)
Excision arthroplasty - may be combined with synovectomy to relieve pain, however limits future function