Why People With Osteoarthritis End Up With Hip Replacement?
In the past, when people are stricken with osteoarthritis, especially on the hip, they usually depend on canes and surgery was less popular, medical experts say. However, nowadays it's quite shocking to know that a large number of people rely on surgical hip implants such as the DePuy ASR hip replacement whenever they experience unbearable joint pains on the hips. Unfortunately, the number of reported defective hip implants by DePuy Orthopeadic, a unit of Johnson and Johnson, has reached more than a thousand and presently the company is facing about 8,000 lawsuits.
Now the question is, how can men and women develop osteoarthritis and how can they prevent this chronic disease and save people from encountering such turmoil.
Before we proceed to that, let us first understand what osteoarthritis is. Its definition, symptoms and how it affects a person.
Osteoarthritis is commonly known as wear-and-tear arthritis and is considered as the most common type of arthritis. It is usually linked to the breakdown of cartilage in joints and may occur in almost any joint in the body.
It usually develops in the weight-bearing joints of the hips, knees, and spine. It also affects the fingers, thumb, neck, and large toe. Osteoarthritis usually does not affect other joints unless previous injury or excessive stress is involved.
Cartilage is a firm, rubbery material that covers the ends of bones in normal joints. Its main function is to reduce friction in the joints and serve as a "shock absorber." The shock-absorbing quality of normal cartilage comes from its ability to change shape when compressed (flattened or pressed together).
What usually happens is that osteoarthritis causes the cartilage in a joint to become stiff and lose its elasticity, making it more susceptible to damage. Over time, the cartilage may wear away in some areas, greatly decreasing its ability to act as a shock absorber. As the cartilage deteriorates, tendons and ligaments stretch, causing pain. If the condition worsens, the bones could rub against each other.
Pain on the joints is the primary indication of osteoarthritis development and is associated with functional impairment and disability in osteoarthritis patients. Usually osteoarthritis-related pain develops gradually. With mild to moderate osteoarthritis, pain typically worsens with use of the joint and improves with rest. As the disease progresses, pain is usually more persistent and that's when the person decided to undergo surgery such as hip implants to relieve them from such debilitating pain.
Now the question is, how can men and women develop osteoarthritis and how can they prevent this chronic disease and save people from encountering such turmoil.
Before we proceed to that, let us first understand what osteoarthritis is. Its definition, symptoms and how it affects a person.
Osteoarthritis is commonly known as wear-and-tear arthritis and is considered as the most common type of arthritis. It is usually linked to the breakdown of cartilage in joints and may occur in almost any joint in the body.
It usually develops in the weight-bearing joints of the hips, knees, and spine. It also affects the fingers, thumb, neck, and large toe. Osteoarthritis usually does not affect other joints unless previous injury or excessive stress is involved.
Cartilage is a firm, rubbery material that covers the ends of bones in normal joints. Its main function is to reduce friction in the joints and serve as a "shock absorber." The shock-absorbing quality of normal cartilage comes from its ability to change shape when compressed (flattened or pressed together).
What usually happens is that osteoarthritis causes the cartilage in a joint to become stiff and lose its elasticity, making it more susceptible to damage. Over time, the cartilage may wear away in some areas, greatly decreasing its ability to act as a shock absorber. As the cartilage deteriorates, tendons and ligaments stretch, causing pain. If the condition worsens, the bones could rub against each other.
Pain on the joints is the primary indication of osteoarthritis development and is associated with functional impairment and disability in osteoarthritis patients. Usually osteoarthritis-related pain develops gradually. With mild to moderate osteoarthritis, pain typically worsens with use of the joint and improves with rest. As the disease progresses, pain is usually more persistent and that's when the person decided to undergo surgery such as hip implants to relieve them from such debilitating pain.
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