Does joint fusion surgery treat rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition that may affect several joints and body systems. Fusion joins the bones in one selected joint, stopping painful movement and improving stability there. It cannot switch off inflammation elsewhere or replace treatment from a rheumatology team. Surgery may be considered when a joint has severe damage, deformity, or instability and medicines or other measures have not restored useful function. The operation and timing need coordination because inflammation, medicines, skin condition, and general health can affect healing.

Discuss the painful joint with both your rheumatologist and an orthopaedic surgeon. Share your complete medicine list, including immune-modifying medicines and steroids, and ask who will guide any changes around surgery. Clarify the planned position, splint or cast, hand or foot therapy, and how other joints may compensate. Background is available in [Rheumatoid Arthritis](/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/) and [Joint Fusion Surgery](/treatments/reconstructive-orthopedic-surgery/joint-fusion-surgery/).

Contact a clinician quickly for a newly hot, swollen joint with fever or feeling unwell, or for a rapidly changing deformity. Following surgery, report wound drainage, spreading redness, increasing swelling, new numbness, colour change, or pain that suddenly becomes much worse.

Ask whether inflammation is controlled enough for surgery, how your medicines will be managed, which function will improve, which movement will be lost, and what warning signs should trigger an urgent call.