Bone and joint issues can happen to anybody, no matter the age. It is often a matter of time before something goes wrong, and we have to get ample treatment for these parts of our body. Sometimes an orthopedic surgery will be required, so let’s see what sort of conditions warrant them.
1. Loose bone fragments
Our body can suffer various types of damage that affect bones and their connecting tissue. The most common would be loose bone fragments. These problems will often come as a part of a bigger injury, but they shouldn’t be ignored, considering how damaging they could end up being.
Arthroscopy is a procedure that’s used for diagnosing loose bone fragments. It includes the insertion of a narrow tube that has a camera on it into a previously made incision. The camera allows doctors to survey the state of your joints through a direct video feed. Through arthroscopy, orthopedic surgeons can establish where the loose bone fragments are and how best to remove them.
An arthroscopic surgery may be necessary for the sake of distinguishing a lot of subtler health problems. You could even be submitted to it in cases where the problem is known but the extent of it is uncertain. The surgery is minor and won’t take any recovery time. In fact, you can walk out the same day you get the surgery.
2. Arthritis
Arthritis is one of the most frequent orthopedic problems humans experience. It has a wide range of symptoms, most of which are treated through orthopedic means. You can also check Modern Orthopaedics for treatments. When arthritis gets very serious, surgery may be required. Orthopaedics is a medical specialty that frequently has to deal with that issue, giving some surgeries as a response.
Arthritis is most frequently treated with joint fusion. Arthritis damages the cartilage of our body, making our bones more prone to chafing against each other and getting damaged from the friction. It’s a more complicated surgery that can take up to 12 weeks to heal from. During this time, you should consider getting some aid for your daily tasks. Even after healing, it’s possible to feel your joints have gotten stiffer, but during recovery, this stiffness will be apparent.
Joint fusion, or arthrodesis, is a fusion of multiple bones within a joint. It will frequently be done in a situation where the cartilage of the bone is diseased and has to be removed. During the surgery, said cartilage will be removed, with parts of the bones being cut off too to enable mending them together. Then, the surgeon fuses the two or more bone ends into a single bone, utilizing metal fixation for the sake of them healing properly.
3. Injuries and conditions that affect cartilage
Injuries will frequently affect more than just the outside of our body, going as far as affecting cartilage within. The cartilage is a very important part of our entire body, without which many motions can be rendered troublesome.
For those whose cartilage has been damaged but can still be repaired, cartilage surgery is a frequent solution. The procedure includes multiple surgical techniques that can repair or replace the cartilage. Remember that cartilage doesn’t heal on its own, and even with surgery, it could remain damaged. The surgery is still frequently sought out by those who have cartilage damage in any of their joints. It is most frequently performed on the knees.
Anybody suffering from damaged cartilage could end up undergoing this treatment. However, it should be known that recovery can take between six weeks and six months, depending on the person.