Tokuda

Minimally Invasive Endoprothesis (implantation) is beneficial for patients with osteoarthritis

Dr. Vasil Yablanski - Department Chief Orthopedics and Traumatology

Osteoarthrosis is one of the most common diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system among people over 50 years of age. Most commonly the disease affects the leg joints especially in the hips and knees. The first clinical signs of osteoarthritis are pain in the affected joint, which becomes heightened when or after overusing the joint accompanied by localized swelling. Often people in this condition have difficulty with simple everyday activities such as climbing or descending stairs, sitting, prolonged walking and doing light exercise.

We recommended that if you notice these symptoms to immediately seek consultation with an orthopedic specialist. During your clinical examination your specialist will determine the joint’s range of motion and pinpoint the location and source of your joint pain. X-ray exams are the most common imaging technique to assess your condition’s development, which is essential to plan the subsequent treatment steps.

If the joint is not severely affected then the primary treatment is geared towards managing the symptoms including: oral and topical medications to reduce pain and inflammation, cartilage enhancing medications, physical therapy and rehabilitation.

For more advanced stages of osteoarthritis, in which of joint fluid leakage is likely and often joint punctures are performed in which joint fluid is withdrawn and medications are directly administered into the joint.

If the medication therapies don’t have satisfactory results, then arthroscopic interventions are prescribed. The procedures involve cleaning or removing damaged joint structures which impede movement and/or cause pain as well as specific corrective treatments for joint surfaces. These types of procedures are considered “day surgery”, associated with a minimal hospitalization period that allows one to rapidly return to normal everyday activities.

For people with advanced cases of osteoarthritis for which the above methods wouldn’t be effective, endoprosthesis or joint implant/replacement procedures are recommended. To maximize patient comfort and peace of mind, we offer minimally invasive techniques which involve small incisions, limited blood loss, and minimized surgical trauma. These methods allow rehabilitation to be started earlier postoperatively resulting in a faster recovery and quicker return to a normal rhythm of life- working, enjoying hobbies, and even sports.

For these types of operations, we offer computer navigation systems, which provide an additional source of accurate information to the surgeon about the affected areas to maximize the precision of joint implantation.

Today, there are a wide variety of joint implants available which allows your doctor to select the most appropriate implant for your specific case based on your overall condition and the extent of your joint damage.

We recommend only the highest quality implants which have already been tested and research validated. Today’s implants are made of high-tech engineered materials, designed for the specific biomechanics of the human joint. These implant characteristics are key to achieving good outcomes, procedure results, and maximize patient comfort.

In regards to the full range of orthopedic treatments, surgical join implantation has the most significant effect on patient quality of life improvements.