For our patients facing end stage degenerative joint diseases such as arthritis, musculoskeletal disease or joint trauma, our team implements the latest advances in joint replacement surgery to restore and improve function for patients with severely degraded range of motion, mobility and pain. Joints that endure continual weight-bearing stress, particularly the hips and knees lose cartilage over time and shoulder joints can develop particular forms of Arthritis that may require total joint replacement surgery to relieve unbearable pain.

Cartilage in the joints naturally protects bones from rubbing together. When cartilage begins to deteriorate, bones begin to rub against each other while in motion, resulting in severe pain and swelling. This can limit motion in the joints, cause the bones to grind and create popping sensations. Total joint replacement surgery can alleviate these symptoms and drastically improve the patient’s daily quality of life.

Through the intervention of our Joint Replacement Specialists, pain free everyday activities like walking, tennis, gardening, golf and playing with children are restored to patients who have had to limit or cease these activities as a result of the chronic and debilitating effects of their conditions.

The performance of a joint replacement depends on several factors and will vary with each individual such as a patient’s ability to tolerate the rigors of joint replacement. This includes assessing existing limitations, evaluating and diagnosing the degree and type of disease or degenerative process, evaluating the level of pain being experienced and conducting a thorough discussion with patients concerning the surgical options available and rehabilitation.

JOINT REPLACEMENT PROCEDURES INCLUDE:

Total shoulder replacement

• Shoulder replacement is a surgical procedure in which all or part of the glenohumeral joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. Such joint replacement surgery generally is conducted to relieve arthritis pain or fix severe physical joint damage.
• Shoulder replacement surgery is an option for treatment of severe arthritis of the shoulder joint. Arthritis is a condition that affects the cartilage of the joints. As the cartilage lining wears away, the protective lining between the bones is lost. When this happens, painful bone-on-bone arthritis develops. Severe shoulder arthritis is quite painful, and can cause restriction of motion. While this may be tolerated with some medications and lifestyle adjustments, there may come a time when surgical treatment is necessary.

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty

• For patients with large rotator cuff tears that are non-repairable in the presence of severe osteoarthritis, a reverse total shoulder replacement is necessary.
• A total shoulder arthroplasty is one where the metal ball joint is implated in the upper arm bone, or humerus, and the plastic cup is fitted into the shoulder socket (glenoid). In the reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, the ball joint and plastic cup are switched around, and the joint goes to the socket and the plastic cup goes into the upper arm bone. Because rotator cuff tears mean those muscles are no longer able to move the arm, the reverse total shoulder arthroplasty uses other muscles, such as the deltoids, to power the movement of the shoulder instead.

Total hip replacement

• Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi (half) replacement.
• Such joint replacement orthopaedic surgery is generally conducted to relieve arthritis pain or fix severe physical joint damage as part of hip fracture treatment. A total hip replacement (total hip arthroplasty) consists of replacing both the acetabulum and the femoral head while hemiarthroplasty generally only replaces the femoral head. Hip replacement is currently the most common orthopedic operation, though patient satisfaction short and long term varies widely.

Total knee replacement

• Knee replacement, or knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure to replace the weight-bearing surfaces of the knee joint to relieve pain and disability. It is most commonly performed for osteoarthritis, and also for other knee diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. In patients with severe deformity from advanced rheumatoid arthritis, trauma, or long standing osteoarthritis, the surgery may be more complicated and carry higher risk. Osteoporosis does not typically cause knee pain, deformity, or inflammation and is not a reason to perform knee replacement.
• Knee replacement surgery can be performed as a partial or a total knee replacement. In general, the surgery consists of replacing the diseased or damaged joint surfaces of the knee with metal and plastic components shaped to allow continued motion of the knee.
• The operation typically involves substantial postoperative pain, and includes vigorous physical rehabilitation. The recovery period may be 6 weeks or longer and may involve the use of mobility aids (e.g. walking frames, canes, crutches) to enable the patient’s return to preoperative mobility.