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What is the MISHA Knee?
Is the new implantable knee shock absorber a revolutionary treatment for arthritis?
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a common condition that accounts for millions of doctors' visits yearly. The only true cure for OA is total joint replacement, which is a costly and invasive surgery. Could the MISHA knee system offer a less invasive alternative to total joint replacement for people suffering from OA?
What is osteoarthritis?
OA, in general terms, is the irreversible degeneration of a joint. This condition eventually leads to increasing amounts of pain and debility. OA can affect almost any joint in the body, but commonly targets weight-bearing joints such as the hips and knees.
OA can arise as a result of trauma or repetitive use of a joint. People who damage their meniscus in the knee often spiral into OA much faster than those with healthy intact menisci. Still, many cases of OA simply arise alongside aging.
Patients with OA will feel progressive levels of pain and immobility as the joint surfaces continue to degrade. Within the knee, this causes the space between the bones that make up the knee joint — the femur and the tibia — to gradually narrow as the cartilage between them degrades. As OA becomes severe, there is complete erosion of the articular cartilage leading to bone-on-bone contact. With each step, as the force of the body’s weight is transmitted through the need, these two bones contact each other causing pain.
For such a common condition the prognosis for people with OA is relatively dire. Once a joint becomes arthritic, the treatments available essentially aim to slow the progression of the disease. The only true cure for OA is joint replacement, an invasive surgery that is not without its risks. Beyond that, several supportive treatments slow the progression of OA, and reduce the severity of symptoms, but none of them can offer complete relief.
How is OA treated?
There is a spectrum of treatment options for OA ranging from minimally invasive…
