As we age, one health problem that often troubles us is the decreased ease and agility of body movement. It can be said that this is something we cannot avoid; the severity of symptoms varies. There are many factors indicating who will experience more or fewer symptoms. Overall, it depends on lifestyle behaviors over the past several decades. When reaching the age of 50 and above, hip joint pain and knee joint pain are among the symptoms that cause inconvenience in daily activities. Moreover, they cause pain that leads to an unhappy life. Therefore, we should not overlook caring for our knee and hip joints to ensure that in our later years, we can move easily and without pain.
Getting to Know the Knee and Hip Joints: Preventing Degenerative Diseases
The hip joint is the largest joint in the human body and is called a “ball-and-socket joint.” A healthy joint has bones connected by tissues or ligaments, which are lubricated with fluid to reduce friction. The joint is also surrounded by cartilage tissue that cushions the joint and prevents the bones from rubbing against each other.
The knee joint connects the thigh bone to the shin bone, allowing us to bend our legs. This joint is important for both the general population and athletes because if knee pain occurs, it can be severe enough to prevent walking, bearing weight, and may eventually require the patient to be bedridden or wheelchair-bound.
What is Knee and Hip Joint Degeneration?
The hip joint’s function is to bear body weight, making it a heavily burdened joint that can easily degenerate, leading to “hip joint degeneration.” This condition is a form of arthritis caused by the deterioration of the cartilage covering the joint surface, resulting in pain and stiffness, which causes movement difficulties.
Knee joint degeneration occurs when the cartilage on the knee joint surface wears down due to use or aging, causing knee pain, swelling, stiffness, difficulty walking, and in some cases, deformity. Severe degeneration can prevent patients from living a normal daily life.
How to Recognize Symptoms That Indicate Risk of Knee and Hip Joint Degeneration
In the early stages of hip joint degeneration, symptoms include pain and stiffness during movement. Patients with a longer history may experience chronic hip pain both during movement and while sleeping, tightness when sitting or standing, pain when bearing weight, and difficulty going up and down stairs. You can self-check symptoms, and if you have any of the following, you should see a doctor for a detailed diagnosis:
- Pain in the groin or front thigh area
- Restricted hip joint movement, with symptoms improving after rest
- Possible leg weakness due to weakened muscles controlling the hip joint
- Inflammation of the hip joint, possibly with bone spurs around the joint
If the cartilage cushioning wears away completely, severe pain may occur when bones rub against each other, and the leg may become shorter.
Symptoms of knee joint degeneration are similar in terms of “pain,” starting as tolerable, intermittent pain that gradually worsens. The overall progression of symptoms in knee degeneration includes:
- Knee pain while walking or going up and down stairs; some may experience pain at night while sleeping
- Swollen knee, inability to move the knee normally, feeling tightness and stiffness, and reduced agility compared to before
Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery Using “Minimally Invasive Surgery”
“Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS)” is a surgical technology using a camera, where small incisions are made on the skin at the treatment site. Then, a camera and surgical instruments are inserted to perform the surgery. The incision is small, and minimal muscle cutting is involved, resulting in less pain and blood loss compared to traditional methods. This helps speed up recovery after surgery. Currently, minimally invasive surgery can be used for hip and knee replacement as an alternative to traditional large-incision surgery, offering better effectiveness, less pain, faster recovery, and quicker return to normal movement.
What is Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery?
For patients with severe degeneration of the knee and hip joints, hip and knee replacement surgery involves removing the damaged joints and replacing them with artificial joints. This allows patients to regain normal movement and, importantly, no longer suffer from painful symptoms.
How Long Do Artificial Hip and Knee Joints Last?
The lifespan of an artificial hip joint depends on several factors, including complication-free surgery, proper positioning of the artificial hip joint, and the patient’s proper use of the artificial joint. The artificial hip joint consists of three parts:
- The part that replaces the hip socket
- The part of the hip head
- The part that replaces the cartilage
Currently, new-generation artificial joints last longer due to improved design, better surface materials, larger head sizes reducing dislocation risk, and enhanced mobility. However, it is also important to choose high-quality artificial hip joints.
Regarding artificial knees, statistics show that 2-5% of artificial knees loosen within about 10 years, and 80% last more than 20 years. Key factors affecting the lifespan of artificial knees include patient usage, surgeon expertise during replacement, and the model of the artificial knee used.
Good to Know: How to Maintain Healthy Knees for Longer
Whether you have knee or hip joint degeneration or have already had joint replacement surgery, “weight control” to maintain a standard weight is something everyone should do to keep the body balanced and prevent any organ from bearing excessive weight, which leads to faster and more severe degeneration. Lifestyle behaviors should also be considered: avoid overexertion, be cautious with movements, avoid lifting heavy objects, avoid squatting or kneeling frequently, and do not overdo exercise or move without warming up first. Lastly, regular health check-ups should never be neglected. Following these guidelines will improve quality of life and promote stronger, healthier bodies.
