Types of Joint Replacements
Hip Joint Replacement
Arthritis pain or a hip joint injury can severely limit your ability to walk, work or do simple activities. That includes:
- Pain with walking or bending the hip
- Pain at rest, during the day or at night
- Stiffness in the hip that prevents movement
If nonsurgical treatments haven’t eased these symptoms, hip joint replacement may be an option.
A total hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which your orthopedic surgeon removes diseased parts of your hip joint and replaces them with artificial parts. Our specialists perform total hip replacements with an advanced “anterior approach.” This approach uses one small incision and spares your tissues from trauma and a lengthy healing process.
Knee Joint Replacement
The knee is a hinge-like joint lined with cushioning cartilage. Over time, the cartilage can wear away, causing your knee to become stiff and painful. This damage, including from knee arthritis, can lead to symptoms like:
- Chronic knee inflammation
- Knee stiffness that makes it impossible to bend or straighten your leg
- Moderate or severe knee pain while resting
- Pain climbing stairs or getting out of a chair
- Severe knee pain that limits everyday activities such as walking
- Swelling that does not improve with rest or medications
If you have these symptoms, a knee joint replacement may be an option. During a knee replacement, your orthopedic surgeon replaces your knee joint with a knee prosthesis (artificial joint), typically made of metal and plastic, to ease pain and restore movement.
Shoulder Joint Replacement
The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint, much like the hip joint. During total shoulder replacement, your orthopedic surgeon replaces your damaged bone and cartilage with a metal and plastic implant to help alleviate pain.
The most common reasons people have shoulder joint replacement are:
- Arthritis—over time, your shoulder joint becomes stiff and painful. Symptoms include pain, limited range of motion, stiffness, swelling, and grinding or catching in the joint.
- Severe shoulder fracture—when you injure your shoulder due to a hard fall or car accident, it may be very difficult for a doctor to put the pieces back together. In this case, your surgeon may recommend a shoulder replacement.
- Rotator cuff tear—a massive, long-standing rotator cuff tear may lead to arthritis and destruction of the joint cartilage. You may need a specific type of shoulder replacement, called a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.
