Navigating Osteoarthritis: Comprehensive Solutions for Improved Joint Health

Your risk of osteoarthritis increases with age, but more than half of adults with this progressive joint disease are younger than 65. The best way to slow the progressive joint damage done by osteoarthritis is with expert care from Obi Osuji, MD, FAAOS, and his team at Signature Orthopedics in Mesquite, Texas. They help patients get relief from the pain and maintain optimum mobility with personalized osteoarthritis treatments. Early treatment preserves a healthy joint as long as possible, so seek help right away. Call Signature Orthopedics today or connect online to request an appointment.

Osteoarthritis Q&A

Osteoarthritis develops over years of joint movement that breaks down the articular cartilage. Articular cartilage supports smooth movement by covering and protecting the ends of bones inside the joint.

As more cartilage wears away, the bones become exposed and rub against each other. Bone damage occurs, bone spurs grow, and inflammation develops.

You can have osteoarthritis in any joint, including your spine, toes, and fingers. But it most often affects large, weight-bearing joints, like your knees and hips.

Post-traumatic arthritis accounts for 12% of all cases of osteoarthritis. This type of osteoarthritis appears in people who suffer a joint injury during their teenage or young adult years. The injury triggers rapid joint deterioration, leading to osteoarthritis that occurs about 10 years earlier than traditional osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis becomes progressively worse over the years, but the speed of tissue degeneration varies with each person. The symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

  • Joint pain
  • Joint stiffness
  • Limited movement
  • Pain when you’re active
  • Tenderness around the joint
  • Grinding sensation in the joint
  • Small bump over the joint
  • Swelling

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis could cause symptoms in the first year after your injury. But you might not experience pain and stiffness until 10-20 years later.

Dr. Osuji creates a customized treatment plan based on the severity of your symptoms and the extent of your joint damage. Your plan can include:

  • Taking anti-inflammatory medication
  • Limiting activities that stress your knee
  • Losing weight (if needed)
  • Wearing a brace or splint
  • Getting joint injections
  • Engaging in physical therapy

Physical therapy, or following an exercise routine, is vital to slowing down joint damage, relieving pain, and maintaining optimal movement.

Joint injections to treat osteoarthritis can contain steroids (to reduce inflammation), hyaluronic acid (to improve joint lubrication and movement), or platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

The Signature Orthopedics team produces PRP from your own blood. After Dr. Osuji injects PRP, the platelets naturally activate healing and reduce inflammation.

When medical treatments no longer provide relief from your symptoms, Dr. Osuji might recommend minimally invasive surgery. He can clean the joint, removing bone spurs, damaged lining, and loose tissue fragments inside the joint. If the joint is extensively damaged, he can do joint replacement surgery.

Request an appointment online today or call Signature Orthopedics to get relief from osteoarthritis symptoms.