Joint injuries
Orthopaedics
Related to: Fractures, Stress fractures, Ligament injuries, Bursitis, Joint restoration, Cartilage repair and transplantation, Multi-ligamentous knee injuries, Hip arthoscopy
What are joint injuries?
Joint injuries occur when there’s damage to bones, tissues or other structures that help a joint move. Depending on the type and severity of the joint injury, you may need treatment that includes medications, a nonsurgical procedure or surgery. At UT Health San Antonio, our orthopaedic experts offer the latest, evidence-based treatments for common and complex joint injuries.
What is a joint?
Your joints are the connection points between two or more bones. Of the approximately 350 joints in your body, about 100 of them are moving (mobile) joints.
Joints are made of:
- Bursae: Fluid-filled sacs that cushion joints
- Cartilage: Slippery tissue that covers the ends of joints so they glide
- Ligaments: Tissues that connect bones
- Synovial membrane: Joint lining that makes a fluid to lubricate movable joints
- Tendons: Tissues that attach muscles to bones so you can move your joints
Types of joint injuries
People of all ages can have joint injuries. Joints that aid movement, such as those in your wrist, ankle, knees and hips, are more prone to injury. Types of joint injuries include:
- Bursitis: Swelling (inflammation) in bursae causes joint pain.
- Dislocation: A bone in a joint moves out of place, such as a shoulder dislocation.
- Orthopaedic trauma: Accidents lead to fractures, dislocations and other joint injuries.
- Osteoarthritis: A breakdown of cartilage causes bones in a joint to rub together.
- Overuse injury: Repetitive movements damage tendons and bones in joints.
- Sprain: A ligament in a joint stretches or tears, such as an ankle sprain or knee ligament injury.
- Sports-related injury: A sprain, dislocation or overuse injury occurs while training for or participating in a sport.
- Strain: A muscle or tendon twists, pulls or tears.
- Tendonitis and tenosynovitis: Inflammation in tendons or the lining (sheath) around tendons causes joint pain.
Why Choose UT Health San Antonio for joint injury treatment?
Patients of all ages from across the world come to our orthopaedic and sports medicine specialists for expert joint injury care. We’re one of the nation’s top academic orthopaedic programs and one of the largest orthopaedics groups in South Texas.
We offer our patients:
- Renowned joint care: People of all ages benefit from the same joint expertise we provide to professional and collegiate athletes in San Antonio.
- Nonsurgical options: We offer a full suite of nonsurgical treatments to help you recover without surgery whenever possible.
- Latest surgical procedures: Our fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons use minimally invasive techniques to repair and reconstruct joints and ligaments. We also offer advanced joint replacement procedures that most other centers don’t..
- Individualized treatments: We listen to your concerns and tailor a treatment plan that addresses the joint injury and helps you get back to doing the activities you love.
- Comprehensive services: Specialists in our Sports Injury Prevention Program can help lower your risk of a joint injury. After a joint injury, our rehabilitative specialists and sports psychologists provide care that promotes a safe return to activities.
Diagnosing joint injuries
Our providers use weight-bearing X-rays, 3D MRI scans and other imaging tests to diagnose joint injuries. These test findings are key to customizing your treatment plan. Depending on the joint injury, we may also use more sophisticated diagnostics, such as:
- Arthroscopy: An orthopaedic specialist inserts a scope device with a small video camera and light (arthroscope) into the joint to check for damage. They may also treat an injury at the same time.
- Gadolinium-enhanced MRI: Your provider injects a contrast agent called gadolinium into the joint space. This advanced imaging helps pinpoint small tissue damage that may not be visible with a standard MRI.
Joint injury treatments
A joint injury doesn’t always need surgery. The treatment you need depends on the type and severity of the injury, as well as your personal activity goals. Our doctors partner with you to offer the best treatment option for you.
Nonsurgical treatments for joint injuries
Some joint injuries improve with nonsurgical treatments, including rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE). Certain therapies can also support your recovery after surgery. Nonsurgical treatments and therapies include:
- Corticosteroid shots, including image-guided injections, to ease swelling and pain
- Extracorporeal shockwave therapy to improve blood flow to the injured area, which promotes healing
- Hyaluronic acid injections (viscosupplementation) to lubricate joints and ease pain
- Oral and topical (applied to skin) medications to minimize pain and swelling
- Physical therapy to help strengthen tissues that support joints and improve flexibility and mobility
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, a biologics treatment that uses your body’s cells to promote healing
- Support devices, such as braces, splints and orthotics, to support a joint while it heals
Surgical treatments for joint injuries
Our fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons have deep expertise in minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgical techniques. Should you need surgery, your options include:
- Joint reconstruction surgery, including resurfacing, bone fusions and bone realignments
- Joint replacement surgeries (total joint care) for elbows and shoulders, hips and knees, thumbs, wrists and ankles
- Ligament repair and reconstruction, including for knees and ankles
- Meniscal transplant surgery