Degenerative Joint Disease

If you've got Degenerative Joint Disease, give the following a read. I originally read it on Anatomy & Physiology on Facebook.


Musculoskeletal Wednesday by Michel van Exsel, MSc:

Degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the knee can result in pain and constraints during daily live. When DJD is associated with varus or valgus malalingment osteotomy could result in a relief of symptoms. Osteotomy results in a shift of the weight-bearing axis away from the degenerative compartment. Varus deformity is corrected with high tibial osteotomy (lateral closing wedge or medial opening wedge). Valgus deformity, less common, is corrected with most often a distal femoral osteotomy.

Osteotomy is indicated for physiologically young patient with painful unicompartmental DJD. Before surgery is planned, any meniscal, ligamentous pathology and referred pain from the hip should be ruled out. The intention of performing an osteotomy is not be a lifelong solution of the DJD but is performed to postpone a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients are often able to delay a TKA for more than 10 years. During those 10 years high impact activities could be performed.

From: Gardiner et al., Sports Med Arthrosc (21) 2013 38-46. All rights reserved to Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.