Consultant, Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement, Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon
Series overview · 12 articles
Spectrum of Orthopaedic Disorders
September 6, 2026
Dr. Rohit Lamba, Consultant in Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement at Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon, used a Jivo Masterclass session to walk through an unusually wide range of orthopaedic cases in a single sitting: knee arthritis, congenital and childhood hip disorders, avascular necrosis, sickle cell disease related hip damage, ligament injuries, fracture complications and severe trauma reconstruction. Drawing on cases from his own operating list, many involving patients from Africa, he set out how each condition is diagnosed, when surgery becomes the right answer, and what technology such as robotic and computer navigated systems adds to modern joint replacement.
A single session, an entire orthopaedic caseload
Most orthopaedic teaching sessions focus on one joint or one disease. Dr. Lamba's covered the knee, the hip, the elbow and the long bones of the leg, moving through osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, developmental dysplasia of the hip, Perthes disease, avascular necrosis, sickle cell disease, ligament tears, non-union fractures, bone infection and blast injury reconstruction within a single presentation. The common thread across every case was the same: identify the underlying cause first, and let that, not the pain alone, decide whether surgery is needed.
From diagnosis to the operating table
For joint pain, Dr. Lamba's evaluation starts with blood tests and inflammatory markers such as ESR, CRP and anti-CCP, followed by an X-ray of the joint taken in the standing position, which shows the true state of the cartilage. Where the X-ray looks normal but the pain persists, an MRI is used to catch conditions such as avascular necrosis before they progress further. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment follows a ladder: physiotherapy and injections such as viscosupplementation or platelet-rich plasma first, joint-preserving procedures such as core decompression next, and replacement surgery only once the cartilage or joint architecture is already damaged beyond repair.
What this series covers
This series draws on Dr. Lamba's Jivo Masterclass session to look at each of these conditions in turn, from knee arthritis and robotic joint replacement to hip disorders in children, avascular necrosis, ligament reconstruction, severe trauma reconstruction, and corrective surgery for childhood rickets.
This article is based on a Jivo Masterclass session conducted by Dr. Rohit Lamba, Consultant, Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement, Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon. The article has been summarised with the assistance of an AI tool from the original masterclass recording. Watch the full Masterclass recording
This guide is based on a live Jivo Masterclass: Dr. Rohit Lamba taught doctors across Africa on April 6, 2025.
FROM THE LIVE Q&A
Moderator
Which group of patients is hip replacement surgery indicated for?
Dr. Rohit Lamba
Dr. Lamba outlined four categories. The first is congenital deformity, such as developmental dysplasia of the hip, where the hip is out of the socket from birth. The second is a childhood infection, Perthes disease, or a slipped epiphysis that reshapes the hip and leads to arthritis later in life. The third is avascular necrosis that has reached an advanced, arthritic stage in early adulthood. The fourth is a hip fracture that has not united properly, healing in a poor position that causes arthritis and pain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a definitive treatment for arthritis?▼
Dr. Lamba answered on the assumption the question was about rheumatoid arthritis, since a network issue had cut off part of the question. In the early stage, before the cartilage is damaged, it can be managed well with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs); cases that do not respond well can move to biological disease-modifying drugs, but only after full evaluation by an orthopaedic surgeon or rheumatologist. Once the cartilage is already damaged, the definitive treatment is hip replacement, and with current implants a patient can expect to stay pain-free and active for the next 30 to 35 years.
Which group of patients is hip replacement surgery indicated for?▼
Dr. Lamba outlined four categories. The first is congenital deformity, such as developmental dysplasia of the hip, where the hip is out of the socket from birth. The second is a childhood infection, Perthes disease, or a slipped epiphysis that reshapes the hip and leads to arthritis later in life. The third is avascular necrosis that has reached an advanced, arthritic stage in early adulthood. The fourth is a hip fracture that has not united properly, healing in a poor position that causes arthritis and pain.
What does Dr. Rohit Lamba's Jivo Masterclass session cover?▼
It covers knee arthritis, robotic and computer-navigated joint replacement, developmental dysplasia of the hip, Perthes disease, avascular necrosis, sickle cell disease and hip replacement, ligament reconstruction, fracture non-union, bone infection, severe trauma reconstruction, and vitamin D deficiency in children.
How does Dr. Lamba decide whether a patient needs surgery?▼
He starts with blood tests and inflammatory markers, then an X-ray taken in the standing position, moving to an MRI when the X-ray looks normal but pain continues. Treatment then follows a ladder from physiotherapy and injections through joint-preserving procedures to replacement surgery.
What imaging is used to diagnose avascular necrosis?▼
An X-ray often looks normal in the early stages of avascular necrosis. An MRI scan is needed to detect it before the joint has visibly deteriorated.
Where does Dr. Rohit Lamba practise?▼
Dr. Rohit Lamba is a Consultant in Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement at Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon.
In This Series: Spectrum of Orthopaedic Disorder - Evaluation and Management
- 1.Spectrum of Orthopaedic Disorders
- 2.Understanding the Main Causes of Knee Arthritis
- 3.How Robotic and Computer-Navigated Systems Are Used in Joint Replacement
- 4.Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: Treating a Childhood Hip Problem
- 5.Perthes Disease: When Childhood Hip Damage Surfaces Years Later
- 6.Avascular Necrosis of the Hip: Causes, Stages and Treatment
- 7.Hip Replacement and Sickle Cell Disease: Why Blood Transfusion Comes First
- 8.When Is Hip Replacement the Right Treatment?
- 9.ACL and Ligament Reconstruction: Grafts and When Surgery Is Needed
- 10.Treating Fracture Non-Union and Bone Infection with External Fixators
- 11.Reconstructing Severe Trauma: Distraction Osteogenesis for Bone and Limb Loss
- 12.Vitamin D Deficiency in Children: When Rickets Requires Corrective Knee Surgery