What is total joint replacement/arthroplasty?
A manufactured prosthesis made of titanium, chrome cobalt and polyethylene to replace an arthritic hip, knee, and sometimes the ankle, shoulder, elbow or wrist. Q) Who needs a total joint? A) Someone who has moderate to severe arthritis, significant limits on normal daily activity, and severe pain they can no longer live with. Q) How do I know if I need surgery? A) Pain that is not managed by anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS). Limited daily activities to the extent that you cannot do what you would like to do. For Example: cannot go grocery shopping without severe pain in the involved joint. Q) Why have a total joint? A) So you can return to more normal activities and relieve your pain (95% successful). Q) What does the surgery involve? A) Total knee arthroplasty (TKA): Small slices of bone are removed from the ends of the bone, capped with metal components and then a polyethylene (plastic) liner is locked in between the metal components. Total hip arthroplasty (THA): The femoral head is re
