Osteoarthritis is known to be a common degenerative joint disease that is often seen in the elderly. This is because aging is one of the most reported causes of osteoarthritis. In certain cases, the condition becomes so severe that surgery is required. The surgery may involve realigning the affected joint using orthopaedic implants and instruments or complete or partial joint replacement surgery.

Osteoarthritis develops into stages; the first grade or grade 2 osteoarthritis is known as mild osteoarthritis. This is the stage in which significant bone changes that occur due to osteoarthritis start showing up in the X-ray examination. If the treatment is provided in this stage, further harmful effects of the condition can be prevented. Grade 2 osteoarthritis is where the space between joints begins to narrow, which occurs due to cartilage breakdown.

What Are the Symptoms of Mild Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a painful condition that can show different symptoms based on the affected joint. The symptoms seen in the case of grade 2 osteoarthritis include the development of pain along with the changes in the affected joint(s) that can be clearly seen in the x-ray report. In this stage, wear & tear in the cartilage occur, and that results in the reduction of the gap between the joints.

People suffering from mild osteoarthritis also experience pain and stiffness in the affected joints, especially in the morning while walking.

What Are the Causes of Mild Osteoarthritis?

One of the common causes of mild osteoarthritis is age-related wear & tear in the joints that occur over time. People who repetitively use or overuse joints are more prone to developing osteoarthritis. Such people may be engaged in activities like sports, military people, and jobs that demand high physical activity. Some of the risk factors include:

• Old age
• Genetics
• Obesity
• A traumatic joint injury that has earlier affected the joint
• Lazy/sedentary lifestyle

What is the Diagnosis of Mild Osteoarthritis?

The diagnosis of the condition is made with a physical examination followed by imaging tests. At first, the healthcare service provider will thoroughly examine the affected joint and look for swelling, painful movement, and areas causing pain. Plus, the healthcare service provider will also ask for medical history to see whether there is a history of any traumatic joint injury or not.

After this, an x-ray examination will also be performed to see the changes in the joints, and this will confirm whether osteoarthritis is there or not. In certain cases, joint aspiration and/or MRI may also be performed.

How Mild Osteoarthritis is Treated?

Treatment of grade 2 osteoarthritis is often made to provide relief from the associated symptoms.

In the starting, physical therapy and exercises are suggested to improve the mobility of the joint, strength of muscles, and joint flexibility. These are very helpful in preventing the worsening of the condition.

In obese, the best way to relieve pain and inflammation associated with mild osteoarthritis is to lose weight to maintain a healthy one. Losing weight helps in relieving pressure and pain that occurs in the weight-bearing joints like the knee and hips. Besides this, activity modification is also helpful in improving painful symptoms.

Sometimes, the use of braces is also suggested to support painful joints.

To relieve pain & inflammation, the healthcare service provider also prescribes analgesics and NSAIDs. Topical ointments and cortisone injections may also be used depending on the condition.
Siora Surgicals Pvt. Ltd. is a renowned and one of the oldest orthopaedic implant manufacturers in India. The company uses medical-grade stainless steel and titanium to manufacture trauma instruments and implants. Orthopedic implants manufactured by the company are also exported to distributors based in different countries. Siora is also looking for reliable distributors of orthopedic implants in Thailand to expand its international market reach.