Development of Arthritis After Knee Surgery

For many, the decision to have knee surgery to repair a torn ACL or damaged cartilage is simple. Surgery is the only way to ensure a stable knee, and many people are unwilling to consider living with an unstable knee. However, knee surgery isn't always helpful. In fact, knee surgery greatly increases your risk for knee arthritis.

Misconceptions

• ArthritisToday.org acknowledges that about half of all people who tear their ACL have surgery to fix the problem. However, the organization states, while knee surgery stabilizes the knee, it increases the risk for developing osteoarthritis.

Expert Insight

• Dr. Scott Dye, from UC San Francisco and the California Pacific Medical Center, claims that one of the most under-reported conditions in sports medicine is the "alarming rate of early arthritis occurring in many knees that have undergone ligament reconstruction or cartilage surgery."

Warning

• Not only does the risk for developing arthritis increase after knee surgery, but also the risk of developing arthritis early. WorldHealth.net has found that patients who have undergone ACL reconstructive surgery develop arthritis in the knee very rapidly, sometimes within the first few years after knee surgery.

Identification

• Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in the knee. It is characterized by the slow degeneration of the cartilage in the knee joint and results in a stiff, swollen and painful joint.

Prevention/Solution

• To prevent the development of arthritis after knee surgery, your activities need to be modified to reduce the stress on the injured knee. It may also be helpful to have regular bone scans done on the knee to detect any formations of arthritis.