Surgical Treatment of Osteoarthritis

• Limited preventative interventions
• No curative procedures
  • Cannot restore the joint back to normal condition
• Can treat symptoms
  • Pain
  • Stiffness, loss of motion
  • Deformity
  • Loss of function

Surgery has a very limited preventative role in treatment of arthritis. There are a handful of conditions, which can be treated with surgery, which will prevent the development of osteoarthritis. Examples include treatment of some joint injuries or inflammatory conditions, such as infections, which if untreated will lead to arthritis.

In general, there are no curative surgical interventions for treatment of osteoarthritis. That is - once you develop osteoarthritis, surgery cannot cure it!

Surgery, on the other hand, has a very important role in symptomatic treatment of arthritis of some joints.

Many of the symptoms of arthritis, such as pain, loss of motion, deformity, can be successfully treated with surgery.