Health News
New Developments In Treating Joint Pain
August 10th, 2009
For a growing number of Americans, joint pain is a fact of life. For some, it is bad enough to affect their quality of life. Fortunately, new methods of treatment are increasing the options available for treating the condition.
In a recent survey, 68 percent of people over the age of 45 revealed that they currently experience some level of joint pain. For 42 percent of these individuals, joint pain presents a more critical problem, interfering with everyday aspects of their life, such as interactions with friends and family, their job or maintaining their home.
Physicians work with each patient to determine the best way to restore motion in the joint and reduce pain, including medications, physical therapy and surgery. With a baby boomer population of approximately 70 million people who are accustomed to leading an active lifestyle, more individuals are looking into surgical treatment options earlier instead of living with pain until an older age.
Advancements in joint replacement surgery are making surgery an increasingly viable option earlier in the progression of joint pain for certain patients. Most recently, customized approaches to joint replacement have helped these individuals return to their active lifestyles while providing increased chances for long-term success, playing a key role in quality of life both now and in the future.
One such customized approach is the Biomet Signature Personalized Patient Care system, which uses MRI technology to create a three-dimensional model of the patient's joint anatomy. Until recently, surgeons relied on two-dimensional X-rays for preoperative planning. However, this only provides a very limited view of the joint structure and requires the surgeon to make determinations about the size and placement of the implant during the surgical procedure.
The new technology provides surgeons with the tools to create custom positioning guides in advance of the surgery, allowing for procedures that are more efficient and less invasive. Additionally, surgeons benefit from such systems or guides because they assist in aligning the joint implant--the most important factor in a successful total knee replacement surgery.
"With Biomet's Signature system, surgeons have access to interactive software to help develop the initial preoperative plan and patient-specific positioning guides for precise implant placement," said Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., M.D., orthopedics clinical assistant professor at Ohio State University.
SOURCE: biomet.com
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