Post-traumatic arthritis is joint wear that develops as a consequence of an earlier injury. It may appear months after a severe fracture, or decades after a ligament or cartilage injury that seemed to have healed well.
Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria treats post-traumatic arthritis at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, including complex cases where previous surgery, retained implants or altered bone anatomy make treatment more demanding than routine arthritis.
When a joint is injured, cartilage may be damaged directly by the impact, or indirectly by the joint surface healing slightly out of line. Even small irregularities change how load passes through the joint, and that altered loading wears the cartilage over subsequent years.
It differs from ordinary osteoarthritis in three ways that matter clinically. It often affects younger patients. The anatomy may be abnormal from the original injury or its treatment. And there may be retained metalwork, previous scars, or bone loss from the original trauma all of which complicate any subsequent surgery.
A characteristic feature is restriction of both active and passive shoulder movement. This means the arm remains restricted even when another person attempts to move it.
fractures that extend into the joint surface. Even well-treated, they carry a meaningful risk of later arthritis.
a fracture healing in a position that alters joint alignment and load distribution.
untreated ACL instability, for example, exposes the cartilage and meniscus to repeated abnormal loading.
where meniscus was removed after injury, load on the cartilage increases.
a direct blow can damage cartilage even without a fracture.
particularly hip dislocation, which can also compromise blood supply.
Seek urgent care for a hot, red, swollen and severely painful joint with fever late infection around retained implants requires immediate assessment. Also seek urgent care for sudden inability to bear weight, or new deformity in a previously injured limb.
Details of the original injury and its treatment, what surgery was done, whether metalwork remains, how long symptoms have been present, and previous infection.
Range of movement, alignment, stability, scars from previous surgery, limb length, gait, and assessment of the joints above and below.
Weight-bearing X-rays including alignment views. CT is often valuable where anatomy has been altered by previous injury or surgery. MRI may be limited by metal artefact but is useful in selected cases. Where infection is a consideration, blood tests and joint aspiration may be advised.
Most patients are managed without surgery. Treatment is adjusted to the stage of the condition and the level of pain and stiffness:
Where pain limits daily life despite non-surgical treatment, where alignment is significantly abnormal, or where the joint surface is substantially damaged.
Joint replacement in post-traumatic arthritis is technically more demanding than in ordinary arthritis, because of altered anatomy, previous scars, retained implants and the possibility of low-grade infection. It requires planning rather than a standard approach.
Physiotherapy immediately after the procedure is important. The procedure helps restore movement, while rehabilitation helps preserve and improve that movement during recovery.
Over two decades of orthopaedic surgical
experience
Internationally fellowship-trained in the USA,
Germany and Australia
Surgery recommended only when it is
genuinely the better option
Among India's earliest robotic joint
replacement surgeons
150+ peer-reviewed publications and multiple
device patents
Structured rehabilitation planned before the
operation, not after
Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria is Director and Head of the Department of Orthopaedics at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, and one of the earliest surgeons in India to adopt robotic joint replacement. Over twenty-two years of practice he has treated patients across the full range of bone and joint conditions, with a particular focus on robotic knee and hip replacement, partial knee replacement, sports injury and arthroscopy, and complex pelvic and acetabular reconstruction.
Name
Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria
Experience
20+ Years
Qualifications
MS (Ortho) FASSI, FNUS, FNAMS..
Speciality
Practice
Schedule your consultation with Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria today
Dr Vaibhav Bagaria
Prarthana Samaj, Khetwadi, Girgaon,
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400004
02261305757
