Guides through decision to have knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis. Describes other surgeries and treatment options used to decrease osteoarthritis pain. Covers benefits and risks. Includes an interactive tool to help you make your decision.

Discusses arthroplasty, joint replacement surgery for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Covers why it is done. Also covers how well it works and the risks.

Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure that lets a doctor look inside your joints. The doctor uses a thin viewing tool called an arthroscope, or scope. It allows the doctor to see the joint surfaces and the tough tissue that covers and cushions the ends of the bones (cartilage). The doctor can also see the surrounding soft...

For arthroscopic jaw surgery, the surgeon inserts a pencil-thin, lighted tube (arthroscope) into the jaw joint through a small incision in the skin. The arthroscope is connected to a small camera outside the body that transmits a close-up image of the joint to a TV monitor. The surgeon can insert surgical instruments...

Articaine and epinephrine are anesthetics (numbing medicines). They work by blocking nerve signals in your body. Articaine and epinephrine is a combination medicine used to numb your mouth for a dental procedure. Articaine and epinephrine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

An artificial sphincter is a device made of silicone rubber that is used to treat urinary incontinence. An artificial sphincter has an inflatable cuff that fits around the urethra close to the point where it joins the bladder. A balloon regulates the pressure of the cuff, and a bulb controls inflation and deflation of...

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) occurs naturally in foods such as citrus fruit, tomatoes, potatoes, and leafy vegetables. Vitamin C is important for bones and connective tissues, muscles, and blood vessels. Vitamin C also helps the body absorb iron, which is needed for red blood cell production. Ascorbic acid is used to treat...

Asenapine is an antipsychotic medicine that is used to treat schizophrenia in adults, and bipolar I disorder in adults and children who are at least 10 years old. Asenapine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Asfotase alfa is an enzyme replacement medicine that is used to treat hypophosphatasia (HYE-poe-FOS-fa-TAY-zha). Hypophosphatasia is a rare genetic disorder in which there is a deficiency of an enzyme that helps the body process calcium and phosphorus. This leads to abnormal growth and development of the bones and...

Ashkenazi Jewish genetic diseases are a group of rare disorders that occur more often in people of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish heritage than in the general population. Even though most of these diseases are severe and can cause early death, some can be treated to reduce symptoms and prolong life. Some of these...