“Medical facts” publishes about thesis Sander Hoorntje.
Hoorntje studied the optimal surgical treatment for young, active patients with knee osteoarthritis who would like to sport and work again. Knee osteoarthritis is becoming increasingly common, also with relatively young people. Placing a knee prosthesis in this active group is not desirable, since the risk of failure is high, requiring a second operation. This happens at 1 out-of 3 patients.
Hoorntje’s research shows that joint preserving treatments can be a good first step. There are also treatments in which patients retain their own knee joint. Such as stand correction or the treatment in which the knee joint is put on a small distance for six weeks (knee distraction), with the aim of reducing osteoarthritis complaints. Patients who undergo this treatment often return to sports and work.
A knee replacement operation can also be postponed or prevented. As a result, no costly revision operations are required, which is a favorable outcome for both the patient and society. The stand correction and knee distraction are now relatively rarely performed in the Netherlands; unjustified according to the results of Hoorntje.