Arthritis is an inflammation of one or more of your joints. It typically causes pain, stiffness and swelling. Arthritis mostly affects older adults, but it can also happen in younger adults and children. There are many types of arthritis, for example:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Post-Traumatic Arthritis
- Septic Arthritis
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Gouty Arthritis
- Lyme Disease Arthritis
- Spondylitic Arthritis
- Lupus Arthritis
- Juvenile Arthritis
- Dysplastic Arthritis
A very common type of arthritis in older adults is osteoarthritis. The hip and knee joints are commonly affected. Osteoarthritis occurs were the cartilage that cushions and protects the joints gradually wears away. A major factor in this process is the natural wear and tear on your hip and knee joints that occurs as you get older. There are many non-operative and operative treatments for osteoarthritis.
Ultimately, when your symptoms can no longer be controlled with non-operative treatments, the final treatment is a hip replacement or a knee replacement. This procedure is also known as a total joint arthroplasty, and it is one of the most successful and widely performed surgical procedures. The results of total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty for adults with osteoarthritis are excellent.