Over 60,000 patients with bone and joint issues treated at Victoria Hospital OPD in Bengaluru post-pandemic

Bone and joint disorders are one of the major health problems in India. Around one in five among the elderly and post-menopausal women suffer from one or the other bone and joint disorder. Globally, degenerative arthritis of the hip and knee in the elderly is ranked 11th as a contributing factor to disability.

Over 60,000 patients with bone and joint problems have been treated in the Out-patient Department (OPD) of Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru after non-Covid services resumed following the second wave of the pandemic.

Victoria Hospital, affiliated to Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), was the first designated hospital in Karnataka for the treatment of COVID patients.

To spread awareness about bone and joint disorders, the Indian Orthopaedic Association has been observing the first week of August as the ‘Bone and Joint’ week since 2012. The theme for this year is ‘Each one Train one Save one’. 

Bone and joint disorders are one of the major health problems in India. Around one in five among the elderly and post-menopausal women suffer from one or the other bone and joint disorder. Globally, degenerative arthritis of the hip and knee in the elderly is ranked 11th as a contributing factor to disability.

With increasing age, musculoskeletal tissue shows increased fragility of bone and loss of resilience of cartilage, ligament elasticity and muscular strength, compromising their routine life.. 

BMCRI Dean and Director Ramesh Krishna K. said about 2,500 emergency procedures and surgeries, including fracture fixation, 250 joint replacements, 200 arthroscopic (key-hole) knee and shoulder surgeries, 100 limb reconstruction and deformity correction surgeries, 30 spine surgeries, and 150 clubfoot corrections, were carried out in the hospital in the last one year.

“A dedicated Physiotherapy Department, working alongside the Department of Orthopedics, helps with physiotherapy of out-patients as well as rehabilitation of the in-patient operated cases,” he said.