The 52-year-old Mr. Chang, a rheumatoid arthritis patient, had been controlling the disease with medication for a long time. However, as the pain had intensified recently, a friend recommended that he should pay a visit to the Orthopedics Department of Everan Hospital for an examination. The X-ray results showed that his left knee was severely worn and had to be replaced. After the surgery, not only did he feel merely little wound pain, but he also could walk without crutches in less than a week. Now, less a month later, he has already regained a normal gait and lifestyle.
Mr. Chang had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which caused white blood cells to attack joint capsules, resulting in frequent joint pain. Although he had been controlling the disease with medication since a long time ago, the pain had recently intensified to a degree that the medication could not relieve his knee pain, forcing him to walk with a walking stick.
After being introduced to the Orthopedics Department of Everan Hospital by a friend and receiving treatments, he has regained a normal gait and lifestyle.

Dr. Chi-Hong Yang, the chairman of the Orthopedics Department of Everan Hospital, explained that patients in the early stage with rheumatoid arthritis can take anti-inflammatory analgesics or oral immunomodulators to control and relieve symptoms of joint swelling and pain.

However, Mr. Chang's joint pain had lasted for 2 to 3 years, and he has been unable to control his rheumatoid arthritis with medication. X-ray examinations revealed that the articular surface of his left knee resembled the surface of the moon, appearing to be covered with holes, and there were no gaps between the cartilages when he was in a semi-squatting position. He was advised to receive joint replacement surgery to overcome the inconvenience in daily life and his walking problems, and also to largely improve his moods and promote life quality.

Pointing out that Mr. Chang’s conditions could no longer be controlled by rheumatoid arthritis medication, Dr. Yang stressed that joint replacement surgery was necessary.

Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, is most likely to begin during middle age, between the ages of 30 and 60 years old, and the incidence rate in women is 3 to 4 times higher than that in men, explained by Dr. Yang. Risk factors include smoking, high age, poor environment or habits, etc.

As the disease causes the immune system to actively attack joint tissues, resulting in pain, stiffness, and swelling, joints may become severely deformed if the disease is not treated in time, therefore affecting life quality, or even the heart, nervous system, and other organs.

Dr. Yang wishes to share with the public that since the initial symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are similar to those of other types of arthritis; sport injuries; and gout, medical treatments are often delayed. If inflammation occurs symmetrically in joints; joint stiffness is particularly severe in the morning; and the painful morning stiffness lasts for more than 2 to 3 weeks, it is advised that medical attention should be sought as soon as possible to find out the cause. If the knee pain aggravates to the degree that cannot be controlled by medication, a normal life can be still restored through knee joint replacement surgeries.