During this time of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many elective surgeries, such as hip and knee replacements, are being postponed. Whether you are waiting to have an elective hip or knee replacement, or you have just had surgery and are recovering at home, there are ways to improve the health of your joints on your own.
Bursitis is the painful swelling of bursae. Bursae are fluid-filled sacs that cushion your tendons, ligaments, and muscles. When they work normally, bursae help the tendons, ligaments, and muscles glide smoothly over bone. But when the bursae are swollen, the area around them becomes very tender and painful. Trochanteric bursitis is swelling affecting the bursae of the hip.
Hip bursitis is a common problem that causes pain over the outside of the upper thigh and hip joint. A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that allows smooth motion between two surfaces.
Chondromalacia patellae is a term used to describe the damage or softening of the cartilage on the underside of the kneecap. It is similar to patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner's knee) in which the pain is felt under and around the kneecap.
The surgery can effectively provide pain relief and restore function, but the timeliness of the procedure is critical: Patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who keep putting off surgery may end up with so much joint degeneration that they do not experience significant improvement when they finally undergo TKA, while those who have the procedure prematurely may see only minimal benefit.
