Released 05 September 2007

Hip operation 'could help juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients'

Researchers from Germany have suggested that an open hip synovectomy - surgery to remove the inflamed joint lining - could be an effective treatment for people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

The team's findings are published in the Journal of Bones & Joint Surgery.

A team from the department of orthopaedic and trauma surgery at Wichernhaus analysed the 67 open hip synovectomies that were carried out on 56 patients between 1985 and 1997.

They found that the procedure reduced pain and improved mobility and walking ability after the five-year follow up.

In addition, 85 per cent of the patients reported that the procedure had drastically improved hip function.

Just five hips in the study required a total hip replacement during the follow-up period.

As a result the team concluded: "Open hip synovectomy in patients with JIA is a safe procedure that can improve hip-joint function for up to five years."

In the UK around 12,000 children and teenagers under the age of 17 suffer from JIA, a type of inflammatory arthritis.ADNFCR-1096-ID-18269111-ADNFCR

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