Post Traumatic Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

Compared to joints without injuries, joints with injuries are about seven times more likely to develop arthritis, even if you receive proper treatment for the injury. Post-traumatic arthritis is a subtype of osteoarthritis (OA), a progressive, degenerative joint disease due to wear and tear on the joint.

Any kind of joint injury or trauma can eventually cause post-traumatic arthritis, but dislocations and fractures are the most common. Damage to the bone, cartilage or other joint structures can change the mechanics of the joint, causing the wear and tear to happen more quickly. A joint injury also triggers an inflammatory reaction.

If you have post-traumatic arthritis entrust your care to Goshen Orthopedics. Our team of board certified, fellowship trained providers is committed to healing your joint pain through our comprehensive, collaborative care.

To make an appointment with our providers for post-traumatic orthopedic care, call (574) 534-2548.

Signs and symptoms

Post-traumatic arthritis accounts for about 12 percent of hip, knee and ankle osteoarthritis cases in the U.S. It can also affect the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. The most common symptom of post-traumatic arthritis is joint pain. The pain develops slowly, starting months or years after a joint injury. In the early stages, resting the joint relieves the pain. However, as the pain progresses, you may have pain all the time.

Other post-traumatic arthritis symptoms include:

• Accumulation of fluid around the joint
• Grinding, creaking or crunching sensation in the joint
• Joint stiffness
• Joint swelling
• Limited range of motion in the joint

Seeing one of our specialists and starting treatment when symptoms first develop can help slow the progression of the disease.

Post-traumatic arthritis treatment at Goshen Orthopedics

When you visit our providers for post-traumatic arthritis care, we create a treatment plan that’s customized to your personal needs. Our goal is to relieve pain and other symptoms, starting with the least invasive treatments.

These may include:

• Ice and heat therapy
• Anti-inflammatory medicines
• Physical therapy offered through Goshen Rehabilitation
• Joint injections

Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and modifying your activities may also help. If these treatments no longer ease your pain, we may recommend surgery.

Our team is equipped with leading-edge techniques and tools to treat your post-traumatic Orthopedic injury, including arthritis and osteoarthritis.