Do you know that the elderly have a greater chance of developing osteoarthritis? Well, it is a severe condition of your knee that undergoes extreme irritation and pain in your knee joints. There are cases when the experts usually suggest performing knee replacement surgery. But for elderly patients, this surgical method is not a suitable choice as many complication and risks may take place. Also, the elderly people will need more time for their recovery. Thankfully, it is a safe, non-surgical and an effective option to knee replacement for the elderly like Arthrosamid injection. The injection may mitigate pain in the joints, enhancing lubricity between restoring knee mobility and keen cavity.
What should you know about Arthrosamid?
Arthrosamid is a non-biodegradable and polyacrylamide hydrogel injection infused in intra-articular space between the cartilages of the Tibia and the Femur. It is made of 95% non-pyrogenic water and 2.5% cross-linked polyacrylamide and popular for motorising Synovial membranes. It is also responsible for synovial fluid production to keep your knee cavity lubricated. Patients will be able to find improvement in knee stiffness and knee mobility reducing pain within 27 weeks after injecting this injection.
How can Arthrosamid work in elderly people?
Osteoarthritis is a medical condition in which synovial fluid between your knee joint usually dries up. This can lead to strong friction between cartilages of each bone and extreme irritation and pain, causing knee stiffness. Arthrosamid hydrogel injection works in the form of a catalyst for rejuvenating synovial fluid and acts as a lubricant to absorb shock and lessen friction. Hence, it is considered to be among the finest choices to knee replacement for the elderly.
What are different surgical alternatives?
Partial knee replacement: This happens when only one area of your knee joint us resurfaced. The knee consist of three different areas where bones move against one another and these are – medial, lateral and patellofemoral, called compartments. In unicompartmental or partial knee replacement, the surfaces of worn compartment need to be replaced in a similar way with metal and plastic. Some benefits include:
- The remainder of the joint will be preserved
- The ligaments inside and outside get retained
- It is relatively easy to convert to a total knee replacement when needed and so is a preferred choice for young patients
Arthroscopy: This kind of keyhole surgery can diagnose and treat certain conditions. Patients with a knee injury need to remove bone fragments, damaged cartilage or pieces of torn meniscus.
Osteotomy: Knee misalignment can lead to certain joint surface areas to get arthritic. Ostetomy is a realignment method which involves cutting a wedge into one or both of the bones on either side of the knee and changing the alignment of leg. This is very effective in easing the symptoms and knee joint can be preserved.
Why Arthrosamid is a revolutionary method to knee replacement for elderly
- Non-invasive treatment: It is a non-surgical treatment for osteoarthritis. Getting this treatment lessens the risk of incision infection, failure, internal fracture and more. Most importantly, you do not have to go through the step of anaesthesia, making this treatment the perfect choice for elderly.
- Shorter recovery time: Patients who want to undergo treatment with this new injection won’t require going through the recovery period. After you take this infection, it is possible to resume your daily activities within a few hours to days of taking rest. On the other side, knee replacement surgery may take several weeks to months to recover. This makes Arthrosamid to be the finest choices in knee replacement for elderly.
- Effective and safe solution: It is usually made of non-biodegradable polyacrylamide hydrogel component which does not have any side effects. Besides, you can repeat it in every six months to one year, as per the severity of the condition. Besides, knee replacement has several risk factors and also requires revision surgery in future.
- Fewer side effects: Arthrosamid consists of minor side effects in comparison to knee replacement surgery. When Arthrosamid gets injected into the knee cavity, it can be the reason for mild swelling and pain. On the other hand, knee replacement can cause blood clots, internal injury, implant failure, etc.
How long will the effect of Arthrosamid injection last?
The effect of Arthrosamid will depend on the severity of osteoarthritis and it generally lasts for one year. Most patients undergoing Arthrosamid treatment can manage the pain within 6 months after getting the injection. You can beat joint stiffness, severe pain and increase knee mobility in only 6 months.
When it is the right time for knee replacement surgery
Knee arthritis may get worse even after you perform the treatment. If you have already tried out these methods and are still dealing with severe pain, then it is already time to discuss knee replacement options with the surgeon. Now, total knee replacement is indeed a major surgery though it can improve overall quality of life and mobility and last for a long time.
A total knee replacement is more of the bones resurfacing in the knee: the end of the thigh bone or femur, the top of the tibia or the thicker of the two bones in the shin and the kneecap or inward facing surface of the patella. Your surgeon will remove bony surfaces and replaces them with plastic and metal implants. The plastic acts the same purpose like the cartilage, helping implants glide against each other in a smooth manner.
Thus, you need to talk to the doctor and get Arthrosamid injections for knee arthritis to avoid undergoing knee replacement surgery.
