Osteoarthritis is one of the common joint diseases that affect the knees. The disease is characterized by symptoms such as loss of joint cartilage by the patient, reduction in the synovial fluid viscosity and subchondral bone sclerosis. According to exams carried out by radiographic imaging to subjects for over 50 years, a 30 percent rate of knee OA was reported and this greatly due to the fact that there is no specific method used to prevent the disease from progressing (Aydogmus et al, 2017). Due to the difficulty in preventing the progression of Osteoarthritis, a question can be raised on the impact that a definitive method for treating Osteoarthritis would have in preventing its progression. A definitive treatment method would make it easier to treat and control the disease as most research would be focused on how to improve the specific treatment method and make it more effective as opposed conducting research on different possible solutions.
According to research conducted by Aydogmus et al (2017) intra-articular injections of plasma rich in platelets is the best form of treatment for Osteoarthritis. The research approaches the topic on Osteoarthritis by discussing various methods that can be used to treat Osteoarthritis such as the use of platelet-rich plasma intra-articular injections and the use of ozone gas or hyaluronic acid. The research conducted a study where patients were subjected to the use of the different treatment methods and then the results were compared to find out which treatment method was the most effective. From their analysis, the researchers are able to compare the results and determine which the most suitable method is and this is done in a way that is easy to follow the research and see how conclusions were drawn.
The research is able to address my question in that it focuses on the most promising treatment methods that have a significant impact in treating Osteoarthritis. While the research discusses three treatment methods, it clearly demonstrates which is the most efficient and further shows why it should be given priority over the rest. The research shows that, while other treatment methods are ideal, it is important to know which is the most effective so as to gather as much knowledge on the treatment methods so as to better treat Osteoarthritis (Aydogmus et al, 2017. From the research, I learnt that the effectiveness of the treatment methods was significantly affected by the rate of degeneration in the knees as the disease affects tissue regeneration. The research helped me to better understand the anatomy of the knee as it discussed information regarding how treatment methods such as hyaluronic acid and platelet rich plasma injections reduce cartilage catabolism.
The information from the research will positively impact my practice as it provided me with information on the effectiveness the most successful treatment methods for Osteoarthritis. The information gave me a better understanding of how the disease works and what can be done to either treat Osteoarthritis or reduce its progression. i not only know the most suitable intra articular injection method is best suited for treating Osteoarthritis but also what other alternatives exist and when it is best recommended to use them. It would however be beneficial to know the benefits of using platelet rich plasma injections on its own without comparing it against other treatment methods. Doing so will result to more research being done on the treatment method and this will create room for developing a more efficient method without having to borrow from other treatment methods.
References
Aydogmus S, Dernek B, Duymus M, Kesiktas F, Komur B and Mutlu S, (2017) “Choice off intra-articular injection in treatment of knee osteoarthritis: Platelet-rich plasma, hyaluronic acid or ozone options” Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrose
