26-yr-old may be youngest to get his knee replaced

MUMBAI: A 26-year-old man from Gujarat, Ankit Bhandari, who was suffering from rheumatic arthritis recently became one of the youngest patients in India to undergo a knee replacement surgery in Mumbai, just ahead of World Arthritis Day observed on October 12. While the joint replacement surgery wasn’t conventionally considered as an option for patients below the age of 30, the doctor who performed the surgery said that in recent years, there has been an increase in the demand for the surgery.

Rheumatic arthritis is a condition that leads to severe deformity, pain, and stiffness in joints. While it is most occurs among the elderly population, it is increasingly becoming common among the younger population as well owing to lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle. In September, Bhandari visited Nanavati Hospital. Dr Pradeep Bhosale, arthritis and joint replacement surgeon who performed the surgery, said, “We decided to perform a complete knee replacement surgery since the patient’s previous surgery and accident had severely affected his cartilages. He was discharged in the first week of October,” Bhosale said.

Dr Arvind Goregaonkar, head of orthopedic department, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, said Bhandari may be one of the youngest patients to undergo a knee transplant due to the condition and may need another surgery to replace the implants at 35.