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Joint Replacements
Although replacement surgery is a major undertaking, you can rest assured our orthopedists have the highest level of training and access to the most modern techniques.
KNEE REPLACEMENT
If your knee is severely damaged by arthritis or injury, it may be hard for you to perform simple activities such as walking or climbing stairs. You may even begin to feel pain while you’re sitting or lying down. If medications, changing your activity level, and using walking supports are no longer helpful, you may want to consider total knee replacement surgery. By resurfacing your knee’s damaged and worn surfaces, total knee replacement surgery can relieve your pain, correct your leg deformity, and help you resume your normal activities.
One of the most important orthopedic surgical advances of this century, knee replacement was first performed in 1968. Improvements in surgical materials and techniques since then have greatly increased its effectiveness. About 267,000 total knee replacements are performed each year in the United States.
The most common cause of chronic knee pain and disability is arthritis. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and traumatic arthritis are the most common forms.
Osteoarthritis usually occurs after the age of 50 and often in an individual with a family history of arthritis. The cartilage that cushions the bones of the knee softens and wears away. The bones then rub against one another causing knee pain and stiffness.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease in which the synovial membrane becomes thickened and inflamed, producing too much synovial fluid which over-fills the joint space. This chronic inflammation can damage the cartilage and eventually cause cartilage loss, pain and stiffness.
Post Traumatic Arthritis can follow a serious knee injury. A knee fracture or severe tears of the knee’s ligaments may damage the articular cartilage over time, causing knee pain and limiting knee function.
Is Total Knee Replacement for You?
The decision whether to have total knee replacement surgery should be a cooperative one between you, your family, your family physician, and your orthopedic surgeon.
Reasons to consider knee replacement:
-You suffer from severe knee pain that limits your everyday activities, including walking, going up and down stairs, and getting in and out of chairs.
-You suffer moderate or severe knee pain while resting, either day or night.
-You suffer chronic knee inflammation and swelling that doesn’t improve with rest or medications.
-You have a knee deformity—a bowing in or out of your knee.
-You have severe knee stiffness—an inability to bend and straighten your knee.
-You've failed to obtain pain relief from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
-You've failed to substantially improve with other treatments such as cortisone injections, physical therapy, or other surgeries.
Most patients who undergo total knee replacement are age 60 to 80, but we evaluate patients individually. Recommendations for surgery are based on a patient’s pain and disability, not age. Patients as young as age 16 and older than 90 have undergone successful total knee replacement.
Realistic Expectations About Knee Replacement Surgery
More than 90 percent of individuals who undergo total knee replacement experience a dramatic reduction of knee pain and a significant improvement in the ability to perform common activities of daily living. But total knee replacement won’t make you a super-athlete or allow you to do more than you could before you developed arthritis.
Following surgery, you will be advised to avoid some types of activity for the rest of your life, including jogging and high impact sports.
With normal use and activity, every knee replacement develops some wear in its plastic cushion. Excessive activity or weight may accelerate this normal wear and cause the knee replacement to loosen and become painful. With appropriate activity modification, knee replacements can last for many years.
HIP REPLACEMENT
If your hip has been damaged by arthritis, a fracture or other conditions, common activities such as walking or getting in and out of a chair may be painful and difficult. You may even feel uncomfortable while resting.
If medications, changes in your everyday activities, and the use of walking aids such as a cane are not helpful, you may want to consider hip replacement surgery. By replacing your diseased hip joint with an artificial joint, hip replacement surgery can relieve your pain and help you get back to enjoying normal, everyday activities.
First performed in 1960, hip replacement surgery is one of the most important surgical advances of this century. Since then, improvements in joint replacement surgical techniques and technology have greatly increased the effectiveness of this surgery. Today, more than 168,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States. Similar surgical procedures are performed on other joints, including the knee, shoulder, and elbow.
The most common cause of chronic hip pain and disability is arthritis. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and traumatic arthritis are the most common forms of this disease.
Osteoarthritis usually occurs after age 50 and often in an individual with a family history of arthritis. In this form of the disease, the articular cartilage cushioning the bones of the hip wears away. The bones then rub against each other, causing hip pain and stiffness.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease in which the synovial membrane becomes inflamed, produces too much synovial fluid, and damages the articular cartilage, leading to pain and stiffness.
Traumatic Arthritis can follow a serious hip injury or fracture. A hip fracture can cause a condition known as avascular necrosis. The articular cartilage becomes damaged and, over time, causes hip pain and stiffness.
Is Hip Replacement for You?
The decision whether to have hip replacement surgery should be a cooperative one between you, your family, your primary care doctor, and your orthopedic surgeon. The process of making this decision typically begins with a referral by your doctor to an orthopaedic surgeon for an initial evaluation.
While most patients who undergo hip replacement surgery are age 60 to 80, we can evaluate you individually. Recommendations for surgery are based on the extent of your pain, disability, and general health status, not solely on age.
You may benefit from hip replacement surgery if:
-Hip pain limits your everyday activities such as walking, bending.
-Hip pain continues while resting, either day or night
-Stiffness in a hip limits your ability to move or lift your leg.
-You have little pain relief from anti-inflammatory drugs.
-You have harmful or unpleasant side effects from your hip medications.
-Other treatments such as physical therapy don't relieve hip pain.
What to Expect from Hip Replacement Surgery
The vast majority of individuals who undergo hip replacement surgery experience a dramatic reduction of hip pain and a significant improvement in their ability to perform the common activities of daily living. However, hip replacement surgery will not enable you to do more than you could before your hip problem developed.
Following surgery, you will be advised to avoid certain activities for the rest of your life including jogging and high-impact sports.
Even with normal use and activities, an artificial joint (prosthesis) develops some wear over time. If you participate in high-impact activities or are over-weight, this wear may accelerate and cause the prosthesis to loosen and become painful.