What does “total joint replacement” mean?
Total joint replacement is a common surgery in which damaged or arthritic joints are replaced with prosthetic parts to restore the joint’s function. The artificial limb is made from metal, plastic, or ceramic. The goal of replacing a joint is to reduce pain and make it easier to do everyday things. Total joint replacement surgery is only considered when less invasive treatments have failed, and you still have a lot of pain, stiffness, or problems with how your joint works, usually the hip or knee.
If changes to your lifestyle, physical therapy, and mobility aids don’t help anymore, joint replacement surgery may be the next step.
Reasons why people get joint replacements
Most joint replacements are done because of arthritis. The most common types of this disease are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, and post-traumatic arthritis.
Osteoarthritis: This is a degenerative joint disease called the wear-and-tear form of arthritis. This long-term condition happens when the cartilage cushion joint changes or gets hurt. This causes stiffness, pain, swelling, and limited joint function. Cartilage damage can be caused by joint trauma, obesity, repeated stress on the joint, bone deformities, and metabolic diseases. This can cause the joint to get worse. In the last stages of osteoarthritis, joint replacement surgery is often suggested when mobility and quality of life are severely affected.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): An autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the joints. The immune cells cause inflammation in the tissues lining the joints. This causes swelling and pain around the joints that are affected. As a result, RA often causes less joint function, joint instability, joint deformity, pain, stiffness, and trouble moving around. Your orthopedic specialist may suggest joint replacement surgery if you have advanced RA and your cartilage has broken down.
Osteonecrosis: An injury to the joint, like a fracture or dislocation, can cut off blood flow to some parts of the bone. If the bone doesn’t get enough blood, the surface may collapse, leading to arthritis. Most often, it affects the femoral head, which is part of the hip joint, the knee, and the shoulder.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis is when an injury causes inflammation in a joint. This kind of arthritis comes on quickly instead of over a long time. The joints that are affected are stiff, swollen, and hurt. Some people with post-traumatic arthritis only have it for a short time and can get rid of it by changing their lifestyle and getting more exercise. However, some people may have more severe symptoms, leading to a long-term condition that needs surgery to relieve pain and restore joint function.
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