Total Joint Replacement | Orthopedic Specialists

Think you need total joint replacement? Contact OSMC specialists.

The specially trained doctors at OSMC are leaders in diagnosing and treating injuries and conditions of the hip, knee, elbow, foot and ankle, hand and wrist, and shoulder – including joint replacement surgery and robotic joint replacement surgery.

The ROSA Total Knee System has many benefits. If conservative therapies have failed to control your pain or other symptoms, surgery may be needed to get you back to pain-free movement.

What is a Total Joint Replacement?

Total joint replacement, often referred to as arthroplasty, is a surgery in which broken or arthritic parts of a joint are taken out and replaced with a prosthesis made of metal, plastic, or ceramic. The replacement is made to move like a normal, healthy joint would.

Most joint replacements are done on the hip and knee, but surgery can also be done on the ankle, wrist, shoulder, and elbow.

Are You a Candidate for Joint Replacement Surgery?

Talk to your physician about whether you are a good candidate for surgery of the hip, knee, foot, ankle, hand, wrist, or shoulder.

It will depend on several factors, including the success or failure of other treatments, your overall health and other medical conditions, as well as the severity of your symptoms.

One of the most common reasons for a joint replacement surgery is arthritic wear and tear. Osteoarthritis causes joint pain that can range from minor to severe, due to the wearing away of cartilage, which acts as a buffer at the place where points meet.

Without the shock-absorbing function of cartilage at the hip, knee, or shoulder joint, you experience bone-on-bone grinding, which causes pain and inflammation and restricts your movement of the affected area.

Joint Replacement Procedure

Surgery to replace a joint takes a few hours. The process is done in a hospital or a center for outpatient surgery.

During the surgery, the damaged cartilage and bone are taken out of your joint and replaced with metal, plastic, or ceramic prosthetic parts. The prosthesis looks like a normal joint and moves like one, too.

For example, in a hip with arthritis, the damaged ball (the top of the femur) is replaced with a metal ball on a metal stem that fits into the femur. The damaged socket in the pelvis is then replaced with a plastic socket.

What are the Advantages of a Joint Replacement?

Joint replacement surgery can help you move around without pain and stiffness. After getting a joint replacement, many people can do the things they used to love. By letting people be more active, these surgeries greatly improve the quality of life and general health due to the ability to participate in activities.

How Long Do Joint Replacements Last?

Most new joints last between 10 and 15 years. But different results happen for each patient after arthroplasty. It’s important to speak with your orthopedic physician about how to take care of your new joint. If your replacement joint stops working after 15 years, you might be able to get a new one, depending on your situation.

Hip, Knee, and Shoulder Replacement in Michiana

Trauma to the hip, knee, or shoulder may also necessitate a joint replacement surgery – and the impact doesn’t even have to be that severe when it occurs in a person with osteoporosis, which causes bones to become weak and brittle.

Joint Replacement Surgery Recovery

Everyone's recovery and therapy will be different. Most of the time, your doctor will tell you to start using your "new" joint soon after your surgery. Even though it can be hard sometimes, following your doctor's orders will help you get better faster.

Most people will have temporary pain in the joint that was replaced because the muscles around it are weak from not being used, the body is getting used to the new joint, and the tissues are healing. In a few months, this pain should go away.

Physical therapy and exercise is an important part of getting better. Your doctor or physical therapist will give you exercises to help you move the joint again and make it stronger.