OsteoArthritis v RA

[TheBoys]

Having had RA diagnosed some 4 years now the majority of my pain is focused on my left knee which I injured in 2017.

Recent flaring and RA activity has been largely rooted in that knee and have had three steroid injections since Christmas. The most latest one was in response to searing pain in the knee. The physio did an ultrasound and showed that along side meniscal wear and tear - that the medial meniscus “extrudes” on extending the leg which probably accounts for the pain that puts me on my back. It’s most likely been like this for nearly a year. He drained the joint as well which was good in relieving pain.

For anyone in the U.K. with experience of extruding meniscus’s- will the NHS look to treat it?

Separate to this I wonder if that’s why am failing on dmards because they will never cope with that sort of issue moreover it feels that I might be better having the knee fixed surgically before embarking on biologics alongside MTX

thanks

[Angjoplin]

I dislocated my knee as a teenager. After being diagnosed with RA that knee was nothing but trouble. I too had the steroid injections. Dmards didn't work for my knee either. In the end, I had a knee replacement as I had severe bone damage.

To answer your question about biologics. The biologics might not do anything for your knee but they might help other joints to not go down that same path. At least that's the way I saw it. One doesn't preclude the other. You could look at getting the knee surgically fixed and have the biologics too.

[TheBoys in reply to Angjoplin]

thanks for that that seems sensible. I d like to take a bit of control this year and at least get some walking so a solid knee is critical

[Angjoplin in reply to TheBoys]

Just a word of warning. I refused to give up stuff and pushed myself to keep walking. Now my ankle on the opposite side is in a mess. It's as frustrating as hell but please listen to your body when it tells you to stop. I wish I had.

[Deeb1764]

if being offered biologics I would jump at them as being seen as so much better for a response. I went into Barcitnib after 5 failures of other drugs and been so easy going into it. Lots of other issues but …….

[TheBoys]

Sciensus are delivering my first batch next week … so fingers crossed