The Arthritis & Joint Center

Arthritis is a common condition that affects as many as 36 million Americans. While there are over 100 different types of arthritis, every one presents with inflammation of one or more joints. A joint is the intersection of two or more bones. For instance the thigh bone (femur) and socket of the pelvic bone (acetabulum) meet to form the hip joint. The knee joint is made up of three connecting bones: the shin (tibia), thigh (femur), and kneecap (patella). At the ends of these bones there is cartilage, which is a smooth, slippery material designed to cushion the hard tissue and to allow for easy, painless movement. At the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey, our orthopaedic surgeons are highly skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of a comprehensive range of arthritis forms. The latest techniques make it possible to alleviate pain, improve function, and minimize progression of the disease.

Some of the most common types of arthritis include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, transient (in reaction to a viral illness), injury-based, and septic (due to infection). Arthritis can affect the shoulder, hand, spine, hip, knee, ankle, or a combination of these areas. In addition to discomfort, this condition can cause swelling, debility, deformity, and stiffness in the affected area. Furthermore, there are joint conditions, such as avascular necrosis, that can cause similar symptoms. When you arrive for your initial consultation, our experienced physicians will perform a physical examination and may request X-rays, blood tests, and other laboratory tests to help determine the type and severity of your concern. At our practice we emphasize non-surgical and minimally invasive therapies foremost, recommending more advanced techniques only in the event conservative methods prove ineffective or are inappropriate.

For more information about joint conditions and arthritis, please follow the links below. If you have additional questions, or if you would like to schedule a consultation with one of our surgeons, please contact us today.

Avascular necrosis (also referred to as osteonecrosis or aseptic necrosis) is the loss of blood flow to a particular portion of a bone. This can result in eventual death of that part of the bone, which then becomes weaker and can collapse. This condition is most common in the hip and can lead to arthritis and destruction of the hip joint. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint, and when the ball (the femoral head) experiences advanced avascular necrosis, it loses its roundness and the hip joint functions poorly. This can occur without a clear cause, but most of the time it is associated with a severe hip injury, high doses or many years of steroid use, alcohol abuse, and other medical conditions. It usually strikes patients between the ages of 40 and 65, and is somewhat more common in men than women. Certain treatments do exist if avascular necrosis is caught in its early stages, but most often a hip replacement procedure is the eventual solution to relieve pain and restore excellent function.