Surgical management of arthritis.

Abstract

The progression and manifestations of arthritis can to a large extent be controlled by medical measures. In the instance of inflammatory arthritis surgical synovectomy may have to be undertaken to control the disease. Once the arthritis has resulted in significant damage to the joints surgical intervention may be the only means of providing relief of pain and restoring function to the affected limb. Arthroplasty, arthrodesis, debridement and osteotomy remain the most used surgical procedures to achieve this.