All about joint replacement surgeries
October 3, 2008
Daily routine processes such as walking, running etc as well as sudden injuries and accidents will destroy the joints of knees, hips and hands. As the cartilages wear down, the inner bones get exposed. The rubbing together of the rough bones cause severe pain and result in arthritis. It can also be caused by inflammation of tissues that envelops the joint. Surgical options of treatment include cleaning of the irregular cartilage and bone, removal of bone spurs, joint replacement surgery and fusion of the joint. Surgical cleaning of the joint, also called as salvage procedure, is generally done when the reason for arthritis is age-related wear and tear. This is also suggested as a remedy in cases of rheumatoid arthritis where tissues get inflamed. Bone spurs get removed mainly when the joints towards the fingertips are affected.
Joint replacement surgery, also called arthroplasty, has become quite common. It is mainly done as the last resort to treat severe arthritis. The surgery involves the replacement of a battered joint with an artificial one. The material, with which the new joint is made, depends upon the position of its placement. In case of knee and hip, the artificial joint will be made up of plastic or metal. In case of hands, it will be of silicone rubber. In certain cases, the patient’s own tendon will be used to compose the new joint. Fusion of a joint involves getting rid of the affected joint and then surgically “fusing” the bone ends. Thus the two bones are effectively unified as a single solid bone. This is generally done in the hand joints of younger patients. This is because in such cases, there is chance for increased stress on the joints for a relatively longer period.
However, the surgical treatment prescribed to each patient varies on the basis of factors such as patient’s age, job type, level of pain, underlying disease and functional goals.
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