Joint replacement is a common orthopedic procedure done worldwide. A joint replacement aims at of replacing painful, arthritic or diseased parts of the joint with artificial surfaces.
The artificial joint is called prosthesis.
Hip and knee replacements are very common form of joint replacements. In medical terms the joint replacement is called replacement arthroplasty or total arthroplasty or sometimes simply arthroplasty.
Actually arthroplasty means repair of the joint. Earlier, a popular form of arthroplasty was interpositional arthroplasty with interposition of some other tissue like skin, muscle or tendon to keep inflammatory surfaces apart.
Another type of arthroplasty is excisional arthroplasty in which the joint surface and bone was removed leaving scar tissue to fill in the gap.
There are many other types of arthroplasties but the most successful and common form of arthroplasty is the surgical replacement of arthritic or destructive or necrotic joint or joint surface with prosthesis.
Who Needs This Surgery?
Joint replacement is indicated in following conditions. Earlier it was done only in old patients but with better surgical techniques and long lasting implants, the surgery is offered to younger patients too.
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Avascular necrosis or osteonecrosis
- Congenital dislocation of the hip joint
- Hip dysplasia
- Acetabular dysplasia
- Frozen shoulder
- Non salvageable trauma to joint
- Joint malalignment
- Joint stiffness
Is This A Major Surgery?
Yes! joint replacement is major operation. Therefore detailed preoperative work up and planning is required. The surgical time varies from surgery to surgery. A few days hospitalization followed by several weeks of protected function, healing and rehabilitation. This may then be followed by several months of slow improvement in strength and endurance.
Patient is mobilized early and depending on the joint involved and the pre-op status of the patient the time of hospitalization varies from 1 day to 2 weeks with the average being 4–7 days in most regions.
Is There Risk?
Every medical procedure carries some amount of risk. Joint replacement is no different. The risks vary from early complications at the time of surgery to those that occur after quite sometime.
Risk during the surgery are mostly related to general well being of the patient and involve heart attack, thromboembolism, stroke, pneumonia etc.
Early risks related to the surgery are mal-position of the components, limb shortening or elongation, Instability/dislocation, fracture of the adjacent bone,nerve or blood vessel.
Posoperatively infection and dislocation are known risks.
Long-term risks are loosening of the components, wear of the bearing surfaces, periprosthetic fractures etc.
Joint replacement is a very successful procedures and the complications occur in very few patients in expert hands.
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thnx for the basic information,sir…