JBJS | Section V: Knee Degeneration

The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, Volume 91, Issue Supplement 1

Section V: Knee Degeneration | February 01, 2009

Section V: Knee Degeneration

Xiaojuan Li, PhD¹; S. David Stulberg, MD²

¹ Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California at San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107. E-mail address: xiaojuan.li@radiology.ucsf.edu
² Northwestern University Medical School, 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1028, Chicago, IL 60611. E-mail address: jointsurg@northwestern.edu

The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. 2009; 91:50-50 doi:10.2106/JBJS.H.01525

5 Recommendations (Recommend) | 3 Comments | Saved by 3 Users Save Case

Article

Comments (0)

text A A A

Extract

Osteoarthritis of the knee is one of the five leading causes of disability among elderly men and women. The papers in this section present the topic of degeneration of the knee from the perspective of both diagnosis and treatment (with a focus on knee arthroplasty). Radiographs are the current clinical tools used in diagnosing osteoarthritis. Radiographic joint-space narrowing is the only structural end point currently accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for phase-III clinical trials. However, radiography is limited because it can only provide information about osseous changes at very late stages of disease. Magnetic resonance imaging represents an advance in technology because it can provide information regarding cartilage morphology and matrix biochemistry as well as information about other features of osteoarthritis, including bone-marrow abnormalities, synovitis, and damage to menisci and ligaments. The first two papers in this section provide an overview on the diagnosis of osteoarthritis with use of radiography and magnetic resonance imaging and on the tracking of longitudinal degenerative changes in the knee with use of magnetic resonance imaging. Currently, no disease-modifying drugs are available to stop, slow down, or prevent cartilage degeneration during the course of osteoarthritis. When the disease becomes severe, joint replacement is the primary treatment option. In the second part of this section, advances in navigated total knee arthroplasty and unicondylar knee arthroplasty are reviewed. With emerging techniques, navigated total knee arthroplasty has become not only an important surgical tool but also a measurement tool and teaching tool in operating rooms and laboratories. Technique advancement in unicondylar arthroplasty of the knee includes robotic unicompartmental arthroplasty and unicompartmental arthroplasty with use of resurfacing implants and personalized jigs. With further development, these computer-assisted surgical techniques will greatly improve our ability to treat degeneration of the knees. Image Not Available

Figures in this Article

Topics

knee region ; knee joint ; tissue degeneration

Username

Password

Access for Patients

Forgot Password?

Have a subscription to the print edition?

Not a Subscriber?

Buy this Article

Get online access for 30 days for $30

New to JBJS?

Subscribe to the online edition for 30 days for $75

Register for a FREE limited account to get full access to all CME activities, to comment on public articles, or to sign up for alerts.

Have a subscription to the print edition?

Current subscribers to The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery in either the print or quarterly DVD formats receive free online access to JBJS.org.

Activate your online account now

Forgot your password?

Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a reminder to the email address on record.

Username:*

Email Address:*

Forgot your username or need assistance? Please contact customer service at subs@jbjs.org. If your access is provided
by your institution, please contact you librarian or administrator for username and password information. Institutional
administrators, to reset your institution's master username or password, please contact subs@jbjs.org

Accreditation Statement

These activities have been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CME Activities Associated with This Article

Submit a Comment

Please read the other comments before you post yours. Contributors must reveal any conflict of interest.
Comments are moderated and will appear on the site at the discretion of JBJS editorial staff.

* = Required Field

Comment Author(s) * (if multiple authors, separate names by comma)

Example: John Doe

Affiliation & Institution*

Comment Title*

Comment*