Osteoarthritis: A Common Cause ~ and Possible Prevention – Video

Learn more about Osteoarthritis: A Common Cause ~ and Possible Prevention.

Learn more about Osteoarthritis: A Common Cause ~ and Possible Prevention.

Osteoarthritis has many causes.  Genetics, trauma, environmental, and chronic repetitive stresses have all been implicated.   Traumatic osteoarthritis is very common.  Researchers at MIT revealed in a recent study  that the medical community may be able to delay or prevent the onset of this debilitating disease with a steroid injection… IF it is administered within the first 24-48 hours following the injury.  This could prove to be a very pivotal study since so many people suffer from post traumatic osteoarthritis and the economic, societal and personal *costs* associated with it can be very high.    

A transcript: 

Good morning, I’m Howard Luks and this is your Orthopedic Minute.

There are many causes of osteoarthritis.  Osteoarthritis is the loss of cartilage, or cushioning within your joints.  One of the major causes of osteoarthritis is trauma. It could be from a fall, from a car accident, or from simply hitting you knee very hard against an object.  What happens (following trauma) is that the cartilage sufferers an injury —  but because it has such a slow metabolism —  it can take years,  or even a decade for the true extent of the of the injury to show itself.   Researchers at MIT have found that if we intervene within the first 24 to 48 hours with a simple steroid injection, we may prevent in total the injury or damage to that cartilage and thus prevent the onset of post traumatic osteoarthritis —  and thus (prevent) a lifelong issue with pain and disability that usually accompanies arthritis.  

Learn more about Osteoarthritis: A Common Cause ~ and Possible Prevention at Howard J. Luks, MD – Howard J. Luks, MD – Chief of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy.