Surgery

Surgery is not usually needed in JRA.

• Some children with persisting pauciarticular JRA, despite medical treatment, may benefit from steroid injections into a joint. This may be done by a rheumatologist, an orthopedic surgeon, or in some cases a child’s primary care provider.
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• Joint replacement (often of the hips, in patients with polyarticular JRA) usually is delayed until bone growth has completed.
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• At one time, part of the synovium was removed (synovectomy) in very severe cases to prevent joint damage. With improvements in medical treatment, this procedure is now rarely necessary.