Live Discussion with Dr. Rohit Lamba
Questions doctors asked during the Jivo Masterclass on Spectrum of Orthopaedic Disorder - Evaluation and Management, taught by Dr. Rohit Lamba, Consultant, Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement, Artemis Hospitals, Gurugram, India, on . Written by Jivo Healthcare from the transcript of the session, drafted with AI assistance and edited by the Jivo team.
In which groups of patients is hip replacement surgery indicated?
Asked by Moderator
The commonest indication is arthritis of the hip in older adults, either osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, causing pain and stiffness that no longer respond to other treatment, along with some hip fractures in the elderly. Beyond that, there are four categories. The first is congenital deformity, such as developmental dysplasia of the hip, where the hip is out of the socket. The second is a patient who develops an infection of the hip, Perthes disease or a displaced epiphysis in early childhood, which leaves the hip abnormally shaped; such patients can develop arthritis later and eventually need a hip replacement. The third is avascular necrosis in early adulthood that has reached an advanced stage with arthritis. The fourth is a fracture around the hip that has not united well, or has united in the wrong position, causing arthritis and pain.
Answered by Dr. Rohit Lamba
Is there currently any definitive treatment for arthritis?
Asked by Moderator
If the question is about rheumatoid arthritis: in the early stage, before cartilage damage has developed, it can be managed very well with medication. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are available, and cases that do not respond well can be treated with biological disease-modifying drugs, which work very well. These should be started only after a complete evaluation by an orthopaedic surgeon or a rheumatologist. Where the cartilage is already damaged, the definitive treatment is hip replacement. With the implants we use, the patient can be pain-free, active and doing almost all of their activities for the next 30 to 35 years.
Answered by Dr. Rohit Lamba
In This Series: Spectrum of Orthopaedic Disorder - Evaluation and Management
- 1.Spectrum of Orthopaedic Disorders
- 2.Knee Arthritis: Causes, Diagnosis and Complex Replacement
- 3.When Is Hip Replacement Needed? AVN, DDH and Perthes
- 4.Live Discussion with Dr. Rohit Lamba