Although pain from an injury usually goes away in time, joint stiffness can persist for far longer, sometimes for years. This is called post-traumatic arthritis, and it can impact your quality of life as much as any chronic health condition. Not only is this one of the many reasons to call an experienced personal injury lawyer like the attorneys at Frost Law Firm, PC after an accident, but it’s also why you should keep a close eye on an injury even after you’ve apparently recovered. Let’s take a closer look at this condition and examine why it can affect you years after suffering an injury.
What Is Post-Traumatic Arthritis?
Post-traumatic arthritis is a form of arthritis that develops after damage has been done to a joint. Unlike osteoarthritis – which tends to affect older individuals – post-traumatic arthritis is most common in younger and middle-aged people who have a history of injuries. This does make it a degenerative form of arthritis, meaning that it comes from wear and tear on your joints. It just so happens that the “wear and tear” is likely to come from a serious traumatic injury to a joint rather than years of overuse.
Most cases of post-traumatic arthritis develop weeks or months after an injury and aren’t permanent. Most people with the condition will fully recover within a few months of proper care. Some injuries are more severe than others, however, and some cases of post-traumatic arthritis become chronic conditions. In some rare cases, a patient may need surgery to alleviate pain and restore full functionality to a joint.
Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Arthritis
The symptoms of post-traumatic arthritis are similar to those of other forms of arthritis. They include:
- Joint pain
- Swelling
- Limited range of motion
- Difficulty bearing weight on the joint
In some cases, pieces of cartilage can break off and be stuck in a joint. If this is the case, you might hear a crackling or crunching sound when you move the joint, or you might feel like something is catching in the joint when it moves.
Any joint can be affected by an injury, but those most likely to be affected by post-traumatic arthritis are the knees, elbows, hips, and ankles. You may not experience symptoms all the time, but they are likely to get worse after exercise or any other physical activity.
While most cases of post-traumatic arthritis will heal within a few months with proper care, some may not heal as expected and become chronic conditions. A chronic condition is anything that lasts longer than six months. Some doctors consider this to be the start of osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis even when it occurs in younger patients. In any case, the arthritis has become a progressive condition at this point, which means it will continue to get worse.
Common Causes of Post-Traumatic Arthritis
Any traumatic injury that affects your joints can result in post-traumatic arthritis, with the most common causes being sports injuries, car accidents, and falls. Bone fractures, dislocations, and sprains can also damage the cartilage surrounding the joints, leading to arthritis even when the joint itself isn’t apparently affected by the injury.
While post-traumatic arthritis can affect anyone, the condition is more common in younger people who are more physically active. This includes children and young athletes who are otherwise healthy. In short, anyone who suffers an injury that might affect the joints should be monitored closely for any joint pain or stiffness and seek proper treatment, even if it’s been months or years since the initial injury.
Treating Post-Traumatic Arthritis
Treatment for post-traumatic arthritis will depend on the severity of the injury and symptoms. Minor cases can usually be treated at home by taking pain relievers, wearing a brace, or physical therapy. Losing weight can sometimes help if it takes excess weight off of a joint while it heals.
More severe cases of chronic post-traumatic arthritis may require surgery. Many cases respond well to arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgery in which damaged tissue or loose cases of cartilage are removed from the affected joint. Arthrodesis, or joint fusion, can also be effective. This involves fusing the bones in the joint together to prevent it from causing pain when it moves. The most severe cases may require an arthroplasty, or joint replacement. This is when the surgeon removes the damaged joint and replaces it with an artificial joint made from plastic, ceramic, or metal.
When to Seek Treatment
You should always seek medical treatment after an injury, even if it seems minor. Your doctor will examine you to determine the severity of your injury and discuss treatment options for you. Seek emergency care if you have intense pain, you cannot move a part of your body that you normally can, or if the injured part is deformed or seems out of place.
If you’ve seemingly recovered from your injury yet still experience joint pain or stiffness, schedule an appointment with your doctor. It’s likely that the pain and stiffness will go away on its own with rest and proper home care, but there’s always the possibility of chronic post-traumatic arthritis. Closely monitor any symptoms you might have, try to avoid doing anything that makes them worse, and speak with your doctor for any advice on managing your symptoms. Arthritis is a progressive condition, even when it’s brought on by a injury when you’re still young, so learn to manage its symptoms before it starts to greatly affect your quality of life.