When is the right time to think about joint replacement?
Joint replacement is a consequence of the failed conservative therapy for arthritis. The criteria for the joint replacement include intense joint pain while at rest which is poorly controlled by medications, inability to walk or perform routine daily activities without significant pain, severe impairment of the joint anatomy causing progressive muscle atrophy and marked joint malfunctioning. The success of joint replacement is far from perfect. Currently, the highest patient satisfaction reported is with replaced (prosthetic) hips, followed by knees, shoulders, small hand joints and ankles, and finally elbows. Prosthetic joints are not the native joints. Their range of motion and life span are limited, and they are more prone to infection. Joint replacement does not include replacement of the joint capsule. Therefore, pathological processes causing diseases of the capsule will still exist after joint replacement and can cause joint swelling, pain and loss of the implants. Consult both
