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Osteoarthritis: before prosthesis Volume 7, issue 10, Décembre 2011

Authors
Société Française de Documentation et de Recherche en Médecine Générale

The osteoarthritis appears to be very common in the elderly. Its true prevalence is not well known, probably because the functional impairment is often minimal or the pain is absent: we have to “look” at the hands of aged patients and reassure them on the usually poor scalability of osteoarthritis. Prevention of osteoarthritis begins in childhood by identifying those who are predisposed to knee osteoarthritis (from family history...), especially if they want to practice high risk sports. A first injury requires a reconsideration of the physical activity... Exercise can be considered at the core of the treatment of osteoarthritis. The educational approach refocuses on a long term support of the patient. Osteoarthritis affects all the joints, particularly knees and hips. The indication for surgery is not an “ultimate solution” but a rational option. Today, other options for treatment are very scarce: no current treatment can alter the development of joint and bone damage associated with osteoarthritis; the therapeutic goal is to relieve the pain induced as well as possible.