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Patient Education: Joint Replacement
Disclaimer
The following text is a list of facts and commonly asked
questions regarding joint replacement. The information provided below
is offered for general education purposes only and should not be used
for diagnosing orthopaedic problems, nor should it be considered a
replacement for consultation with a physician.
Only your healthcare provider can diagnose you and treat you in
the way best suitable for you. While BioPro has endeavored to make sure
the information contained in this site is accurate, BioPro can not
guarantee the accuracy of such information, and it is provided without
warrant or guarantee of any kind. If you have any questions or concerns
about your health, please contact your healthcare provider.
What
is Joint Replacement Surgery and who needs it?
Joint replacement is a surgical procedure in which an arthritic
or damaged joint is removed and replaced with an artificial joint
called a prosthesis. The materials used in these prostheses are
designed to enable the joint to move just like your normal joint.
Hip
and knee replacements are the most common forms of joint replacements,
but replacement can also be performed on other joints, including
shoulders, toes, thumbs, and elbows.
The vast majority of joint replacement patients are people who suffer
from pain, stiffness, and loss of function because their joints
have worn out due to arthritis. Joint replacement can also be performed
on patient’s who have chronic illness, congenital deformities, injuries
that did not heal properly, or any other condition that may cause
frustrating pain and / or loss of mobility.
Benefits
of Joint Replacement
Joint replacement offers several potential key benefits for arthritis
patients. One of the major benefits of joint replacement surgery
is that it can relieve the severe pain in the joint caused by damaged
cartilage. Other benefits include better movement and ability to
use joints. In addition to these benefits, an improvement in the
look of deformed joints can be achieved by joint replacement surgery.
Are
there any simpler measures than Joint Replacement?
Joint replacement is a major surgery and complications can occur.
It is therefore extremely important to note that not everybody who
has arthritis needs a joint replacement. Joint Replacement should
be reserved for the advanced cases where simpler methods were not
sufficient enough to relieve your pain and disability. It may be
beneficial to ask your orthopedic surgeon if there are any options
that could be done prior to joint replacement. Below is a list of
simpler measures that may be taken prior to joint replacement.
1) If you are overweight, lose weight
The heavier you are, the more weight you carry across your joints.
If you loose weight, your joints will suffer less and you should
experience less pain. If you want to lose weight through exercise,
it is important to remember not to participate in activities such
as running, jogging, or basketball, because they will increase the
wear and tear rates in your arthritic joint. Instead, you should
participate in activities that do not put as much weight across
your arthritic joints, such as swimming.
2) Use a cane
A cane will take some of the weight off the arthritic joint and
may therefore relieve some of the pain one may experience while
performing curtail activities such as walking.
3) Do not over-exert yourself
If you have arthritis, you should not avoid using your joint because
the muscles around the joint will weaken and it will become even
more difficult to move the joint. At the same time, however, it
is important to not partake in unnecessary activities and extreme
sports that will increase the wear and tear rates of your joints.
4) Medications & Injections
Your doctor may suggest some medication (both prescription and over-the-counter)
that may relieve some of the pain associated with arthritis. A knowledgeable
physician can also inject cortisone into the arthritic joint to
help relieve arthritis pain and symptoms.
5) Lesser Surgeries
Sometimes, joint replacement is not the best choice because of the
patient’s age or personal preference. Lesser surgeries such as Fusions
and core biopsy (the core of the bone is removed) can be performed
instead of joint replacement, but they are usually less effective
that joint replacement, and in several cases, if the procedure is
not successful, a joint replacement is almost certain.
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