Mr Ajuied is a full time knee surgeon in London specialising in all aspects of knee surgery. Mr Ajuied has been appointed a senior honorary clinical lecturer in Trauma and Orthopaedics as well as director of education for South London Orthopaedics, in recognition for his contributions to higher surgical training. While in clinical practice Mr Ajuied has developed a number of care innovations, including new surgical techniques and a unique rapid rehabilitation programme for patients undergoing knee surgery.
Clinical Director Hily Perpinyal interviews Mr Adil Ajuied and asks him about arthritis, knee replacements and whether physiotherapy really helps.
Q: Osteoarthritis of the knee is very common amongst our population. Many people panic when they receive the diagnosis, as they have heard that the condition can spread. What is the truth behind all of this?
Mr Ajuied: In the vast majority of cases people do not need to panic upon receiving the diagnosis of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition of the joints with multiple contributing factors. While it can affect multiple joints, this is better thought of as different joints failing, rather than a disease spreading.
Q: Whilst physiotherapy cannot correct knee osteoarthritis, can it be useful in symptom relief?
Mr Ajuied: Physiotherapy plays a vital and critical role in managing osteoarthritis of joints and in particular in the lower limbs. Physiotherapy aids in improving muscle strength, limb control and weight-bearing patterns so as to reduce the strain upon joints. This results in less pain, improved confidence and better function.
Q: At what point would you recommend that a knee replacement is required?
Mr Ajuied: Knee replacement is the option of last resort for the treatment of knee arthritis. In my practice I only consider it once all other treatment options have been exhausted, this would include physiotherapy, analgesia and other measures. A patient’s daily quality of life should be limited, which is to say their function should be limited by their knee pain, for example the time you can walk on the flat should be reduced, and they should be dependent on analgesia to get by.
Q: Are there any other ways to manage the condition?
Mr Ajuied: There are options of joint injections, for which the evidence is a little weak at the moment. Where appropriate, weight reduction can be a powerful tool in managing knee pain, with each 5kg loss resulting in approximately a 10% reduction in pain.