Medical advances offer hope to younger arthritis patients

10 Jul 2009 - Posted by the Editorial Team

Younger arthritis patients are among the most notable beneficiaries of advanced medical technology.

This is according to UK organisation Arthritis Care, which said that younger people with the condition are now more likely to be considered for surgery, where previously they would have been turned away for being "not old enough".

"Nowadays, advances in medical technology mean that joints can be resurfaced or replaced at a far younger age," a spokeswoman from the charity said.

"In the recent past, people were often told they were not old enough for such surgery. They had to wait until the joint fell apart."

In Britain, guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence state that osteoarthritis patients can be referred for surgery before prolonged pain and stiffness impacts on their quality of life.

There are 200 different types of arthritis, all of which are classified into three different categories – inflammatory arthritis, non-inflammatory arthritis and connective tissue.

It is estimated that there are approximately 103 million people in Europe affected by rheumatism or arthritis.

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