Joint Replacement

About Joints

Human bones join with each other in a variety of ways to serve the functional requirements of the musculoskeletal system.

Why Joint Replacement?

The ends of two bones which form a joint are covered by smooth tissue known as cartilage. This tissue is sometimes damaged by disease or injury, and causes pain. Eventually the cartilage gets totally worn out and the bone ends rub against each other causing severe pain and disability. In joint replacement surgery, the damaged surface of the joint is removed and is replaced with an artificial joint called 'prosthesis'.

Common Causes of Joint Damage

Osteoarthritis is the commonest cause of damage, requiring joint replacement. Other causes are rheumatoid arthritis, fracture involving the joint causing osteoarthritis, poor blood supply (avascular necrosis) and various childhood problems that result in delayed arthritis.

Joint Replacement Surgery

Joint replacement surgery has brought a new lease of life to many who have suffered from pain due to damaged joints. Commonly replaced joints are the hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, elbow, wrist and the finger joints.

Today, thousands of hip and knee joints are replaced every day all over the world. Joint replacement has enabled people to lead a more active life. Jack Nicklaus, the famous golfer, who had his hip replaced and is actively competing is a classical example.

Other common joint replacement techniques are:

• Uncemented hip replacement
• Ceramic on ceramic hip replacement
• Surface replacement
• Total knee replacement
• High flex knee replacement
• Unicondylar knee replacement - minimally invasive
• Total shoulder replacement Reverse shoulder replacement
• Surface replacement shoulder
• Hemi shoulder replacement
• Total elbow replacement