Some lessons for a healthy knee

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, OCT. 7.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee's knee replacement surgery to treat his aggravated Osteoarthritis was used as a reason by Stryker Howmedica and Health4India.com Education Forum to organise an update on this particular condition, its prevention and cure here recently.

The expert panel of Dr. O.N. Nagi, head of the Department of Orthopaedics at PGI, Chandigarh, and Dr. Raju Vaishya, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said obese people were particularly vulnerable. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease caused by the wear and tear of articular cartilage and can set in as early as at the age of 30.

According to the bone specialists, it is one of the most common forms of arthritis in the world. In India alone, 20 per cent of the population suffers from this condition. And, above 40 per cent of them are in the 40-45 age-group and 50 per cent of them develop all symptoms of the disease. However, only 7,000 patients are treated annually as most people are ignorant about the surgery, or do not have sufficient finances for it. A knee surgery can cost upto Rs. 2.5 lakhs for both knees, depending on the hospital.

While the genesis of this condition continues to baffle doctors, Dr. Vaishya said it can be aggravated by factors like obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and joint trauma. He further discussed the various pharmacological, non-pharmacological, and surgical solutions available to offset the pain as there is no cure available till date.

As for Dr. Nagi, he dwelt at length on knee surgery with ample illustrations and reiterated that knee replacement surgery is the best solution for Mr. Vajpayee. Both doctors also had a list of dos to prevent the disease. These included maintaining a healthy body weight, regular exercises, and avoiding over-exertion of joints.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Wanted: A Pied Piper for CP
Next     : Moving on to new vistas...