Last year an article in Skeletal Radiology received significant attention for disproving “current wisdom” about running and knee arthritis. Researchers from Austria used MRI imaging to examine the knees of participants before the 1997 Vienna Marathon. Ten years later, runners received an MRI before the 2007 race. Scans of those participating in both races were compared for changes. The results were very surprising.
It is two weeks away from the 14th Steamtown Marathon. For this column, the first of three dedicated to those runners preparing for the big day,
I thought it fitting to share information regarding the prevention of running injuries for the marathon and recreational runner.
Last week I attempted to answer an email from Don Loftus, a teacher a Scranton Prep and former athlete who suffers from arthritis in his knees. This week will discuss the treatment options available to former athletes and others for the management of knee arthritis.
All joints suffer from wear and tear over time. Weight-bearing joints such as the hip, knee and ankle, tend to wear out faster than others. Moreover, trauma, from sports, overuse, occupation, or accidents, will expedite this process. This form of arthritis is called, osteoarthritis.
Patrick McKenna, Editor for The Times-Tribune recently sent me copy of a press release regarding a warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the prevalence of arthritis will increase significantly by 2030.
I have been advising my patients to exercise, keep active, and walk as long as they can in order to stay mobile and healthy. However, seniors often tell me activities that require prolonged walking is limited by knee pain from arthritis. They often ask, “What is arthritis of the knee? How does it happen? What can I do about it?
The outcomes for active people continue to improve with advances in technology, prosthetic materials and new techniques. As a result, many active people are eager to use there new joint to continue their active lifestyle. The ability to remain active while not compromising the integrity of the new joint continues to be the source of some controversy. It will be the purpose of this column to review the literature and make recommendations to safely return to golf with a hip and knee replacement.
The focus of this column is to present the “current wisdom” on joint replacement longevity. How long will it last? How active should I be? This is a hot topic for discussion in light of the fact that significantly more young people (under 65) are getting joint replacements in order to continue an active lifestyle.
