How to beat arthritis: The definitive doctors' guide to the treatments that work, what to do if it's early days, the truth about supplements and steps to avoid surgery By Jonathan Gornall and Rachel Ellis Published: 06:55 EDT, 23 October 2024 | Updated: 06:59 EDT, 23 October 2024 e-mail View comments Osteoarthritis need not be the end of the world — or a stellar tennis career. After years of pain, three-time Grand Slam tennis champion Andy Murray had surgery to 'resurface' his hip joint that had been damaged by osteoarthritis. In six months, he was back on court, taking the Queen's doubles title — not a bad result for an operation many associate with old age and decreasing mobility.
Andy Murray was back on court six months after surgery to 'resurface' a hip joint that had been damaged by osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that protects our joints breaks down. The body's attempts to repair the damage can make it worse, as the synovium — the capsule containing the joint — thickens and produces more lubricating synovial fluid, in turn causing inflammation. As part of this attempt at repair, extra bone may grow at the joint's edge, distorting it.
The result: stiffness and pain. In the UK, an estimated nine million people have osteoarthritis, which most commonly hits the joints that take most strain — more than two million over-45s have it in their hips, and five million in their knees — but it can affect any joint, from the fingers to the toes. Ag.
