Treatment Services at Johns Hopkins Medicine

Initially, your doctor may recommend a self-management program to alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis. For overweight patients, this involves a weight loss program -- weight reduction in obese patients has been shown bring significant relief to people who suffer from osteoarthritis. 

Your doctor may also recommend a tailored exercise program, overseen by a physical therapist or exercise physiologist, in combination with physical therapy and/or occupational therapy.

Devices such as canes, crutches and walkers make walking easier for some patients.

Drug Treatment

Your doctor may recommend pain-reducing medications such as acetaminophen. If this does not result in adequate pain relief, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS) can be useful. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors are a new form of NSAIDS recently approved by the FDA for treating the pain and inflammation of arthritis. They are thought to be significantly less toxic than conventional NSAIDS, particularly in the GI tract.

Surgical Treatment

Patients with severe cases of osteoarthritis who do not find relief by other treatment options may benefit from surgery. Our expertly trained orthopedic surgeons are performing groundbreaking surgeries to treat the symptoms of osteoarthritis. The results are quicker recovery times and more effective pain relief. One such procedure is an osteochondral autograft transfer system (OATS), a cartilage transplant to treat arthritis in patients deemed too young for knee replacement surgery.

Another promising new procedure at Johns Hopkins provides an alternative to certain patients who suffer from arthritic cartilage of the knee but for whom artificial knees are not an option, e.g., younger patients. The procedure uses the UniSpacer -- a new chrome, dish-like device -- to stretch damaged ligaments back to their normal position and provide a smooth surface on which bones in the knee can glide painlessly. During the procedure to insert the UniSpacer, the surgeon makes a three-inch incision in the knee, removes arthritic cartilage and smoothes bony surfaces before inserting the device. Because the procedure does not require existing bone to be cut, it does not compromise possible future knee replacement surgery.

Another cutting-edge procedure performed only by the most seasoned orthopedic surgeons and available at Johns Hopkins is minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. In this procedure, an incision about three inches long replaces the foot-long incision used in conventional hip replacement surgery. The smaller incision allows the surgeon to cut less tissue and muscle, resulting in a less painful and speedier recovery. Because the surgery requires extreme precision, only surgeons with considerable experience perform it. Dr. James F. Wenz, chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center is renowned for his expertise on this and other delicate surgeries; he has performed more than 300 minimally invasive hip replacements.