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Joint Replacement |
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Joint problems can occur at any age. With the medical technology available today, it is no longer necessary to endure the pain and tolerate the limitation of activities associated with deteriorated joints. The knee and hip joint are the major weight-bearing joints in the human body. The considerable stress that these joints are subject to during a lifetime often results in extensive wear of the joint surfaces. These joint surfaces are covered by a spongy soft tissue called cartilage. The cartilage normally serves as a lubricating surface and allows free gliding of the joint surfaces back and forth as one goes about daily activities. When the cartilage wears to the point that it no longer adequately covers the underlying bone, significant pain results with activity. While there are many reasons for this cartilage covering to wear out early in life, by far the most common form of wear that we see is just the result of years of activity. When necessary, our team of orthopedic surgeons can provide relief from the pain with total joint replacement. The most commonly replaced joints include hips, knees, shoulders, and finger joints. It is even possible now to replace the ankle joint. The surgery, involves replacing the joint's worn-out cartilage surfaces with new surfaces, usually consisting of a surgical plastic and a metallic surface (either a stainless steel or titanium alloy). Also see partial knee replacement. Our physicians present seminars to the general public to make people aware of their options. These same seminars help family members learn how they can become involved in their loved one's care. While total joint replacement is major surgery, the patient's quality of life can be greatly improved by replacing a worn joint and thus reducing the associated pain. The orthopaedic surgeons at Tulsa Bone & Joint have been performing this surgery for many years with great success. If you are suffering from severe joint pain, we welcome you to investigate along with us whether or not this particular operation is appropriate for your own situation. |
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