Is it hard to decide about total knee replacement? Totally!

This study excluded those who had had severe pain in the week prior to study enrollment. Only people with osteoarthritis — the age-related, “wear-and-tear” type of arthritis — were included. People with other types, such as rheumatoid arthritis, were not eligible. Although the improvement in those receiving surgery was greater than that for the non-surgical group, both groups improved. And the difference between them was not large. Serious side effects or complications were more common in the surgery group. For example, three of the 50 people who had surgery (compared with none in the non-surgical group) developed blood clots that required treatment with blood thinners. Such clots can cause dangerous, potentially fatal, complications. This study lasted for just one year, so it cannot tell us which type of treatment is best over the longer term. That’s important because osteoarthritis, and the impact of major surgery, may affect pain and function for decades. If you have osteoarthritis of the knee, talk to your doctor about your treatment options. Surgery may be a good choice if your symptoms are quite bothersome, other treatments have failed, and your overall health is good enough to withstand the operation. However, your personal preferences matter a lot. For example: How does your arthritis affect you? An avid walker may make a different decision about having knee surgery than a person who is less active. How do you feel about the risks? All surgery comes with a...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Osteoarthritis Pain Management Surgery knee pain knee replacement Source Type: news