Leading orthopaedic surgeon Dr Stephen Ruff outlined the services available to osteoarthritis sufferers at a public presentation at Dubbo Private Hospital yesterday.

Following the presentation Dr Ruff provided further details on the numbers of people from western NSW undergoing orthopaedic surgery in Dubbo.

"We do 30 operations a month," he said.

"The national figures for knee and hip replacements is about 54,000 per year.

"The number of cases we see from western NSW, I believe, would put the figures for this region above the national average."

Dr Ruff said the cause of osteoarthritis and the more disfiguring rheumatoid arthritis was unknown, however he said studies had led researchers to believe it could be hereditary.

"It would appear a number of people are genetically predisposed to the condition," he said.

"Beyond that we really don't know a lot more apart from contributing factors such as stress on joints.

"Apart from genetics, sport, work and diet are the major causes for osteoarthritis.

"Knee injuries are often related to sport, and hip failure is often the result of work practices or carrying too much weight.

"The majority of the cases in this region fall into those categories."

Dr Ward said the number of people seeking orthopaedic joint replacement would increase in the future in line with Australia's ageing population.

"We will see a steady growth in demand during the next 15 years," he said.

"We estimate an eight per cent increase in hip replacements and a 10 per cent increase in knees."

Dr Ward said the long-term success rate of the operations was difficult to determine, as it was a relatively new science.

However, he indicated that 90 to 95 per cent of new hip recipients could expect the replacement to last for about 15 years.

He said there were no known cures for osteoarthritis, which he described as a disease of the joint cartilage.

"There are no cures - medical technology today simply treats the symptoms with surgery or drugs (pain killers and anti-inflammatories)," he said.

"Research into stem cell therapy may provide an alternative method in the future but for now surgery is generally the most effective and immediate treatment."

Those interested in gaining further information about current forms of treatment and available support networks are advised to attend the regular meeting of the Dubbo branch of the Arthritis Foundation.

The branch next meets on Thursday October 13 at the Masonic Village meeting room, Darby Close at 2pm.