All About Arthritis with Dr. Jepson

Welcome to a Medical Minute segment with Dr. Eric Jepson, a fellowship-trained Joint Replacement physician at the Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group.

The video below will cover what arthritis is, particularly arthritis in the knee, the symptoms, and treatment options available.

What is arthritis in the knee?

Arthritis in the knee is when the cartilage in the knee wears down. This lack of padding causes the primary symptom, which is pain within the joint. Over time this affects the alignment and mechanics of your joints, as well as your range of motion.

How does arthritis of the knee differ from other parts of the body?

The biggest difference between arthritis in the knee versus other parts of the body is that the knee is a weight-bearing joint. This pain in the knee impacts people performing day-to-day activities. When arthritis starts to impact someone’s daily activities, that is when they usually call the experts at Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group to find out what their options are.

How do you treat arthritis in the knee?

Dr. Jepson’s philosophy for arthritis is to start with conservative treatment options first. Conservative treatment options include activity modification, physical therapy, cortisone or gel injections, or the use of anti-inflammatory and over-the-counter medications. While these conservative treatments do not treat the underlining condition of arthritis, they change the symptoms and help avoid having to go on to surgical treatment.

The last treatment option for arthritis in the knee is knee replacement surgery. Knee replacement surgery is often very successful and predictable; however, it is still surgery, so Dr. Jepson uses this as the last treatment option.

How do you determine which procedure to use for knee arthritis?

Dr. Jepson determines which procedure and treatment options are right for each patient after consulting with them. Treatment options often depend on how much they impact the patient’s quality of life. Dr. Jepson utilizes conservative methods first, such as physical therapy, or even simple steps such as encouraging and maintaining an ideal body weight. If these simple, conservative options are not helping, then Dr. Jepson will try injections or anti-inflammatory medications as the next step and progress along the treatment cascade from there.

What is the average recovery time for knee replacement surgery?

Knee replacement surgeries are incredibly predictable procedures that have improved greatly over the last ten years. Typically, the patients can stay in the hospital or surgery center overnight; however, now offered through Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group, many can now go home the same day as surgery! After surgery, patients are up and moving right away. The physicians at Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group get patients involved in physical therapy immediately after a knee replacement surgery, and after two weeks patients can expect to be able to tell a significant difference from before the surgery. By six weeks, Dr. Jepson expects that patients are starting to return to normal activities.

What is the average recovery time for partial knee replacement surgery?

To perform a partial knee replacement surgery, a patient must have arthritis in only one part of the knee. If a patient has this particular unique circumstance, then a partial knee replacement surgery is an excellent procedure. For most patients, a partial knee replacement surgery has a quicker recovery time and is less invasive.

Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group’s fellowship-trained joint replacement physicians can put together a custom-tailored program for both diagnosis and treatment. Call to schedule an appointment today at 719-632-7669.