Traumatic osteoarthritis or post-traumatic osteoarthritis as it is better known is mainly caused due to an injury of the joints, followed by a number of physiological and mechanical changes. A patient may develop arthritis in a joint which may have been previously injured. The development of arthritis in that joint though may or may not be related to the injury. The progressive degeneration of the joint after an injury along with the genetic or other natural causes of bone degeneration worsen the condition as the patient grows in age. It is extremely important for the treatment, to know whether or not the condition is a direct consequence of the injury.
There are various factors which can lead to conclude whether or not the patient?s condition is a case of traumatic arthritis. If it is noted that other joints are also suffering from similar symptoms as the traumatized joint then the condition is definitely not one of traumatic osteoarthritis. One must also try to recall whether or not the joint was absolutely normal even before the injury and whether or not any evidence of structural damage was found only within a few days of the injury. Many a times, a closer investigation into the history of the injury also reveals that it was not that bad enough to have caused an internal joint condition like arthritis.
However, if the injury may have caused a dislocation of the bone, a fracture, a torn ligament or anything as serious then it may have led to the present condition of arthritis which can easily be classified as traumatic arthritis. Also, if one realizes that only the previously injured joint is affected then too it is a case of traumatic arthritis. An MRI scan can sufficiently establish the condition.
The disease becomes evident only 2 to 5 years after the injury. However, certain changes which are symptomatic of an osteoarthritic condition maybe visible immediately after the injury.
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