Arthritic degeneration is the leading reason why people end up pursuing a knee replacement procedure, but know that arthritis comes in different forms, and these different variations of the same condition will change your overall treatment course. Someone who undergoes knee replacement surgery to address osteoarthritic changes in their knee will face different challenges than someone whose need for joint replacement was driven by rheumatoid arthritis.
But what are these extra challenges faced by patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and how can we ensure their procedure and recovery goes as smoothly as possible? We explore some of the unique challenges faced by people with rheumatoid arthritis when considering a joint replacement procedure.
Osteoarthritis Vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis And Joint Replacement
Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can lead a patient to need a knee replacement procedure. Osteoarthritis occurs when mechanical wear and tear leads to cartilage degeneration and joint dysfunction. Many older adults deal with mild or moderate osteoarthritic degeneration simply because they’ve put decades of stress and strain on their knees.
Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, leads to joint degeneration because of an immune system disorder. In patients with RA, their immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, oftentimes in key joints throughout the body. This can lead to the deterioration of cartilage and other soft tissues. It’s estimated that around 85% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis experience joint degeneration as a result of the immune system disorder.
So no matter which condition you have, you may find yourself in a similar situation – dealing with joint degeneration and in need of a replacement procedure. For patients with osteoarthritis, this is a bit more straightforward. We’re replacing the damaged joint components with arthritic hardware designed to mimic the function of healthy joint tissue. Much of the focus of recovery is on letting the body heal from the trauma of surgery and slowly working to restore function and strength in the joint with the help of physical therapy exercises.
It’s not that simple for patients with RA. Because their degeneration was driven by an immune system disorder, there are more factors that need to be considered at all stages of the process. Some additional considerations you’ll need to broach with your care team include:
- Surgery Infection Risk – Due to the immune system disorder, you’re slightly more likely to develop an infection tied to the surgical procedure. Your care team always takes precautions to avoid infections during the procedure, but additional steps may be taken given your situation.
- Poorer Healing – Studies have also found that wound and tissue healing may be slower in patients with RA. This is again tied to how the person’s immune system responds to trauma and that they may deal with prolonged inflammation that isn’t well controlled by the body.
- Worse Pre-op Condition – RA tends to do damage more quickly than osteoarthritis, which has a much slower progression. Much of the joint damage occurs within the first two years of the condition, meaning by the time someone with rheumatoid arthritis finally connects with a knee specialist and gets scheduled for surgery, their joint degeneration may be more severe than patients with other forms of arthritis.
- Higher Rate Of Revision – Studies have also found that patients with RA are more likely to need to undergo a revision procedure after their knee replacement.
- More Surgical Site Infections – Finally, infections are also more likely at the incision site in patients with RA. Everyone needs to carefully manage their incision site after a joint replacement, but patients with RA will be at a higher risk for infection because of their immune issues and slower healing rate.
While this news may not be ideal, it should not stop you from connecting with a professional and taking back your independence if you have rheumatoid arthritis and knee pain. We’ve successfully helped countless patients battling different forms of arthritis, and we can do the same for you. For more information, or for help with a specific joint issue, connect with Dr. Botero and his team today at (865) 558-4444.
