At U-M Health, our experienced team will do tests to determine which type of arthritis you have. Then we will develop an effective treatment plan and will explain your options. Our success in treating these types of arthritis result from our integrated, multidisciplinary approach to patient care. In treating your arthritis and joint inflammation, we will involve all of the areas of our team that are necessary to solve your particular problem and develop an individual treatment plan for you.

Experts in Joint Replacement

Because of our interest in quality improvement, we are founding members of the Michigan Arthroplasty Registry, a group of orthopaedic surgeons and medical professionals who want to improve the quality of care for patients undergoing hip, knee and shoulder replacement procedures in Michigan. The Coordinating Center for this Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan-funded project is also housed at U-M Health. 

• MedSport at 734-930-7400, or toll free 877-877-9333
• Orthopaedics at 734-936-5780
• Rheumatology Services at 888-229-3065

At U-M Health, we believe that surgery is rarely the first option. We look first at non-surgical treatments for arthritis and joint inflammation, such as lifestyle changes, anti-inflammatory medications, braces, walking aids and injections. Non-surgical treatment depends on the joint affected by arthritis. For instance, weight loss and strengthening exercises can help to stabilize a knee and decrease pain. Depending on the patient, arthritis in the ankle can be better tolerated with an ankle brace. For the hip, weight loss and using a cane on the opposite side could make a difference.

Surgery

When treatment isn’t working, the damage is severe, or the pain affects your sleep and lifestyle, we may advise surgery. We give you surgical options based on the type of arthritis and the body part affected. As an academic medical center, we’re actively involved in top research, which means we are able to offer our patients a variety of surgical options, including computer-assisted surgery and less invasive surgery. Our orthopaedic surgeons are nationally and internationally known for their expertise in replacing and repairing arthritic joints.

Surgery options for arthritis and joint inflammation include:

• Arthroscopy – Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive approach of treating pre-arthritic problems inside the joint by making small incisions and using pencil-size instruments and a tiny camera to see and work inside the joint. While arthroscopy can be helpful to remove loose pieces of cartilage that are getting caught in the joint, studies have shown that a general “clean-up” of an arthritic knee does not provide meaningful and lasting improvement in symptoms.
• Cartilage transplant – In cases where the cartilage wear (or arthritis) is quite focal in an otherwise relatively normal knee, cartilage from the patient themselves or from a young healthy donor, can be used to replace the patient’s damaged cartilage.These procedures include osteochondral allograft transplant (cartilage and bone from a donor), osteochondral autograft (OATs, cartilage and bone from the patient’s own knee) or a transplant of isolated cartilage cells (either from the patient or a donor). 
• Joint replacement or partial joint replacement (also known as arthroplasty) – The most common total joint replacement is hip and knee, but arthroplasty is also used for the shoulder, elbow, ankle and knuckle. U-M Health is one of the few health care providers in southeast Michigan that offer total ankle joint replacement, and we are very experienced in this procedure. Partial joint replacements can be done on the part of the joint that is damaged, such as the knee, hip, hand or wrist.
• Osteotomy – Osteotomy involves cutting and realigning one of the bones near the knee to shift the patient's body weight away from the part of the joint that is wearing out. Osteotomy can be used when one area of the knee is worn out but the rest of the knee has reasonably healthy cartilage,