Woman gets relief from arthritis that made her bones brittle

The 25-year-old had developed severe infection after the ball of her thigh bone was lodged inside the pelvic bone, leaving her bedridden for over a year

For more than a year, 25-year-old Manisha Gaikwad was completely bedridden, as she suffered from excruciating pain while standing or walking.

Manisha Gaikwad underwent her last surgery on June 14 at Fortis Raheja Hospital, and is currently undergoing physiotherapy sessions

However, two years after getting married, the Satara resident had no idea that she was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, causing the head of her thigh bone (femur) to damage the side of her pelvic bone, even when she lost her child after a caesarean delivery.

“She was brought to Mumbai by her father and was admitted to the hospital six months back. Her bones had become brittle to the point that the ball of the femur bone was lodged inside the pelvic bone, resulting in severe infection,” informed Dr Vaibhav Kasodekar, orthopaedic surgeon at Fortis Raheja Hospital.

Doctors at the Mahim hospital first treated the infection, following which Manisha underwent a revision hip replacement, usually conducted on senior citizens, to salvage her mobility. Since the pelvic bone was also severely damaged, doctors performed grafting to replace parts of the bone.

Manisha’s father, who works as a constable in Mumbai, could barely manage to foot the medical bills of the first surgery by borrowing R2.6 lakh from relatives. After the first surgery, doctors listed the patient under the indigent category. “I was informed by the hospital management that my bills for the next two surgeries and post-op care would be waived,” said Hamanat, her father.

Manisha’s last surgery was on June 14, and she is currently undergoing physiotherapy sessions. “The last year was extremely tough since I was unable to walk or even sit. I even lost my child following a caesarean delivery, but didn’t know I was suffering from arthritis,” she said.

Expertspeak
Dr Pradeep Bhosale, head of the orthopaedic department at KEM Hospital, said, “Over the years, we have been observing that 3 out of 10 patients operated on for joint replacement, were afflicted by rheumatoid arthritis. The incidence rate is as high as 30 per cent, and most patients are female. This inflammatory disorder is extremely painful, as the cartilage gets destroyed over the years due to erosion.”

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