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Total Hip Replacement
Total hip replacement surgery almost always reduces joint pain. During this surgery, your problem hip joint is replaced with an artificial joint (called a prosthesis).
Benefits of Hip Replacement
Total hip replacement surgery almost always:
- Stops or greatly reduces hip pain. Even the pain from surgery should go away within weeks.
- Increases leg strength. Without hip pain, you’ll be able to use your legs more. This will build up your muscles.
- Improves quality of life by allowing you to do daily tasks and low-impact activities in greater comfort.
- Provides years of easier movement. Most total hip replacements last for many years.
When the surgical team is ready, you’ll be taken to the operating room. There you’ll be given anesthesia. The anesthesia will help you sleep through surgery, or it will make you numb from the waist down. Then an incision is made, giving the surgeon access to your hip joint. The damaged ball is removed, and the socket is prepared to hold the prosthesis. After the new joint is in place, the incision is closed with staples or stitches.
Preparing the Bone
The ball is cut from the thighbone, and the surface of the old socket is smoothed. Then the new socket is put into the pelvis. The socket is usually press-fit and may be held in place with screws or cement. A press-fit prosthesis has tiny pores on its surface that your bone will grow into.
Joining the New Parts
The new hip stem is inserted into the head of your thighbone. After the stem is secure in the thighbone, the new ball and socket are joined. The stem of the prosthesis may be held with cement or press-fit. Your surgeon will choose the method that is best for you.
Understanding Knee Replacement
The knee is a hingelike joint, formed where the thighbone, shinbone, and kneecap meet. It is supported by muscles and ligaments and lined with cushioning cartilage. Over time, cartilage can wear away. As it does, the knee becomes stiff and painful. A knee prosthesis (artificial joint) can replace the painful joint and restore movement.
A Healthy Knee
A healthy knee joint bends easily. Cartilage, a smooth tissue, covers the ends of the thighbone and shinbone and the underside of the kneecap. Healthy cartilage absorbs stress and allows the bones to glide freely over each other. Joint fluid lubricates the cartilage surfaces, making movement even easier.
A Problem Knee
A problem knee is stiff or painful. Cartilage cracks or wears away due to usage, inflammation, or injury. Worn, roughened cartilage no longer allows the joint to glide freely, so it feels stiff. As more cartilage wears away, exposed bones rub together when the knee bends, causing pain. With time, bone surfaces also become rough, making pain worse.
A Knee Prosthesis
A knee prosthesis lets your knee bend easily again. The roughened ends of the thighbone and shinbone and the underside of the kneecap are replaced with metal and strong plastic components. With new smooth surfaces, the bones can once again glide freely. A knee prosthesis does have limitations. But it can let you walk and move with greater comfort.
Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery
During shoulder replacement surgery, all or part of your problem shoulder is replaced with an artificial joint, called a prosthesis. The prosthesis replaces the rough, worn parts of your shoulder with smooth metal and plastic parts.