Joint replacement offers
an exciting treatment alternative to patients who many times have experienced
extreme pain, limited motion and activity, and even lowered quality of
life because of their joint condition. Surgery is safe for essentially
people of all ages -- even people in their 80’s and 90’s benefit from improved
mobility and pain relief that joint replacement offers. Always an elective
procedure, joint replacement has become a readily available option for
treating a variety of joint problems.
During joint replacement,
a biomedical implant or device made of man-made material is put inside
the human body. This new joint can perform and function within the body
almost like the original joint. In most cases, it is much stronger and
more reliable than the deteriorated joint it is replacing. In joint replacement,
all of a joint or just certain parts of the joint can be replaced.
The amount of damage the
joint has sustained will determine which portions of the joint needs to
be replaced.
There are several situations
that might require Total Joint Replacement:
You may suffer from arthritis,
causing pain, deformities, and limited mobility of a joint.
Joints can degenerate over the
years from stress or the aging process.
In a trauma situation, the bones
may be so severely damaged that a joint needs to be replaced in order for
the patient to recover use of that area of the body.
Osteoporosis may cause weakening
or fractures in bones, requiring the joint to be replaced.
Joint replacement surgery can
accomplish many goals. Patients usually achieve much improvement
shortly after the surgery in the following ways:
