Arthritis
Nearly one million Americans develop arthritis every year. Arthritis affects individuals of all ages, shapes and sizes, and most commonly comes in the form of osteoarthritis.1
Osteoarthritis is the number one reason for joint replacement and develops after many years of constant motion and pressure on your joints. This “wear and tear” causes the cartilage to become inflamed and can result in unbearable pain and decreased range of motion.
Patients suffering from osteoarthritis may experience pain, aches, stiffness, and swelling in or around the joints. This can affect day-to-day activities, such as walking, sleeping and household chores.
Other types of arthritis include inflammatory and traumatic. Inflammatory arthritis, also known as rheumatoid arthritis or gout, is a chronic disease, which causes swelling and heat in the joint lining. Meanwhile traumatic arthritis is inflammation of the joint that is caused by an injury and characterized by a breakdown of bone and cartilage; bleeding in the joint space and increased bone thickness; a flattening of the joint space; and separation of the joint cartilage from the underlying bone and/or bone erosion.
Treatment Options
There are a variety of ways to manage and reduce the symptoms of arthritis:
• Direct heat
• Lifestyle changes like weight loss and/or exercise
• Over-the-counter remedies (NSAIDs)
• Prescription medications
• Injections
• Physical therapy
When these treatments no longer work, it may be time to consider joint replacement surgery.
1 http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/arthritis.htm
Your hip is a ball and socket joint where your thighbone connects with the pelvis. It’s the largest weight-bearing joint in your body and is surrounded by cartilage, muscles and ligaments.
When your hip is working correctly, you can walk and move easily. When it isn’t, your movement can become stiff.
Over time, cartilage starts to crack or wear away, causing your bones to rub together and create pain. Once your cartilage is damaged or destroyed, it is gone forever, leaving the only option as joint replacement.
More than 300,000 hip replacement procedures are performed each year.1
In a total hip replacement, the diseased hip ball is removed, then replaced with an artificial ball on a stem that goes down into the hollow part of the thighbone and is either pressed or cemented into place. A metallic shell and cup shaped liner are placed in the hip socket and then the ball and socket are placed together.
The two most common surgical approaches are posterior and anterior. The posterior approach has been the gold standard for more than 40 years and cuts through the buttock muscles to reach the hip joint.2
Learn more about this procedure by reading this brochure.
Anterior Approach - Minimally-Invasive Approach to Hip Replacement
Another way patients can undergo hip replacement surgery is through the minimally-invasive anterior approach. The anterior approach goes through the front of the hip, preserving important muscles that provide stability and power for walking.3 It has:
- Fewer post-operative restrictions
- Quicker recovery time
- Shorter hospital stays.4
Learn more about this procedure by reading this brochure.
1 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons http://www.aaos.org/
2 Robinson, R., Robinson, H., Salvati, E. A. Comparison of the transtrochanteric and posterior surgical approaches for total hip replacement. Clin. Orthop. 147:143– 147, 1980. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7371281
3 Moskal J., Capps S., Scanelli J. Anterior muscle sparing approach for total hip arthroplasty. World J Orthop. 2013 Jan. 19. Doi:10.5312/wjo.v4.i1.12
4 Munro, CA. The perioperative nurse’s role in table-enhanced anterior total hip arthroplasty. AORN Journal. 2009 July.
Cartilage Repair
The articular cartilage covers the ends of the bones in the knee joint, and allows them [bones] to easily move against one another and absorb shock. Your cartilage can become damaged through injury or disease and can cause significant pain and weakness. Without treatment, the cartilage can become further damaged and potentially lead to knee replacement surgery.
In order to determine the appropriate treatment option, the surgeon will use MRI technology to see the size, location and degree of injury in the cartilage. Other factors determining treatment include a patient’s age, activity level, rehabilitation potential and desire to return to sports.
Most cartilage repair surgeries are performed minimally invasive using an arthroscopic camera and tiny instruments within a small incision. To learn more about the treatment options, click here.
Total Knee Replacement
Your knee is the largest joint in your body. It is made up of the lower end of the thighbone (femur), which rotates on the upper end of the shin bone (tibia), and the knee cap (patella) that slides in a groove on the end of your femur.
Specifically, the joint surface where these three bones connect is a smooth substance called the articular cartilage, which cushions the bones and enables them to move easily. The rest of the knee is covered by a thin, smooth tissue liner that releases a special fluid to lubricate the knee. In a healthy knee, these two components work together to eliminate friction and allow for easy mobility.
When you start experiencing pain in the joint, your movement is inhibited. If all other conservative treatment options have failed, knee replacement may be required.
More than 600,000 total knee replacement (TKA) procedures are performed every year in the U.S.5 In a TKA, an incision is made down the center of the knee, then the diseased bone and cartilage components are removed and replaced with metal and plastic implants that allow the bones to smoothly slide against each other like natural cartilage.
Surgery time varies from one to two hours and an additional two hours can be added depending on the amount of time spent before surgery and in the recovery room. Overall, most patients are ready to return home three to five days after surgery.
Learn more by reading this educational brochure.
5 National Center for Health Statistics Website. Inpatient Surgery. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00389
Minimally Invasive Rotator Cuff Repair
Your rotator cuff is composed of four different muscles that cover the humerus, your upper arm bone. These muscles help you to lift and rotate your arm and keep it in place.
The rotator cuff typically becomes damaged through injury or degeneration and can occur in either partial or full-thickness tears. Treatment options will depend on the degree of the tear. For example, a partial tear may fixed by smoothing or trimming the frayed muscle in a procedure called debridement. Meanwhile a full-thickness tear will most likely require surgery.
Open Repair Surgery
This approach was the first procedure designed to treat torn rotator cuffs. The surgeon will make an incision over the shoulder, detach the deltoid muscle and then remove any bone spurs from the bottom of the acromion. This option works well for large or complex tears and/or if additional reconstruction is needed.
Minimally Invasive Surgery
This outpatient procedure uses a small camera, television screen, thin, miniature instruments, and small incision. The camera projects images of the joint onto the TV screen to help guide the surgeon during surgery.
Mini-Open Repair
This procedure is a combination of minimally invasive and open repair. It uses a small incision to first access the damage and treats bone spurs through arthroscopic technology and then repairs the tendon by viewing the shoulder structure directly.
Your surgeon will be able to determine the best treatment option after examination. TO learn more, click here.
Total Shoulder Replacement
Your shoulder is composed of three main bones- the collarbone (clavicle), shoulder blade (scapular) and upper arm bone (humerus) - and a variety of muscles, tendons and connective tissues that protect the joint and hold it together. Since this ball-and-socket joint is stabilized by its muscles and tendons, it has a wide range of motion, but is also more prone to disease and injury compared to other large joints in the body.
A variety of issues can lead to shoulder replacement, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rotator cuff tear, fracture and avascular necrosis.
Shoulder replacement is the third most common joint replacement surgery. Patients typically receive either a total (primary) or reverse procedure.
In a total shoulder replacement, a plastic “cup” is fitted into the shoulder socket (glenoid) and a metal “ball” is attached to the top of the upper arm bone (humerus) to mimic the patient’s anatomy.
Learn more about total shoulder replacement.
Reverse Shoulder Procedure
In a reverse shoulder replacement, the anatomy of the shoulder is reversed by attaching a metal ball to the shoulder bone and a plastic socket to the upper arm bone. Candidates for a reverse are typically individuals who have significant tears in their rotator cuff and need a procedure that relies on different muscles to move the arm.
Recovery time will vary per patient, but most are ready to return home one to two days post-surgery.
Learn more about this procedure.
FRACTURES
Ankle
Your tibia, fibular and talus make up your ankle. When one or more of these bones are broken, you have a fracture.
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Elbow
The elbow is a hinge type of joint and is composed of three bones: the humerus, radius and ulna, and a combination of ligaments, muscles and tendons. Elbow fractures can happen in a variety of way, including being hit by a hard object or landing on an outstretched arm.
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Wrist
Your schapoid is the most common bone to break in your wrist. It’s located where your wrist bends near the thumbside.
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MUSCLE TEARS
Meniscus Tears
Your meniscus are two wedge-shaped pieces of cartilage located between your femur and tibia, which help to cushion and stabilize your knees. Meniscus tears can happen to anyone at any age, but those who play contact sports are at greater risk.
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ACL Tear
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the ligament that runs diagonally in the middle of the knee. Its purpose is to stabilize the tibia and provide rotational stability for the knee.
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Rotator Cuff Tears
A torn rotator cuff makes simple everyday activities like brushing your teeth or putting away laundry challenging. Your rotator cuff is composed of four different muscles, which cover the humerus and help you to lift and rotate your arm.
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Soft Tissue Repair
Soft tissue injuries most commonly occur during physical activities and come in the form of sprains, strains, bursitis and tendinitis. Treatment will depend on the type of injury and can be determined by an orthopaedic surgeon.
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