JOINT REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR

We have a team of highly experienced orthopaedic surgeons to provide a comprehensive range of services in total joint replacement and repair .

Indications For Total Joint Replacement

Total Joint replacement is commonly done for severe osteoarthritis, arthritis of the knee and hip. It is also done for arthritis of the shoulder, elbow, ankle and even for finger joints. When the joint is damaged with worn out cartilage, walking can be an arduous and painful task, especially if the knees and hips are involved. Joint cartilage is smooth and helps reduce the friction between the bone while walking or moving the joint. Pain-killers are usually not effective in reducing the pain in severely damaged joints.

What causes osteoarthritis?

Joints can be damaged in an acute injury like a twisting injury, a fall on the knee joint, or a direct kick to the knee etc. It can also be damaged as a result of overuse or excessive stress on one side of the joint due to mal-alignment. Mal-alignment usually occurs in bow-legged knees. Cartilage, like our teeth do not grow back once damaged. Therefore in joints that are significantly damaged, the uneven surface creates much pain and swelling due to the increased friction. In milder cases, joint lubrication can relieve most of the pain. The joint lubricant is injected directly into the knee joint and can be done in the clinic. The pain relieve can last for as long as two years but in severe joint damage, results can be poor.

When can we repair cartilage defects?

If there is a larger cartilage defect, the defect can be covered up by several methods. One simple, inexpensive and quick method is mosaicplasty. This procedure is akin to covering up your kitchen floor with mosaic tiles. Another method of covering up the defect is to perform ACT or autologous cartilage transplantation. This involves culturing cartilage cells in the laboratory and implanting it to the defect.

How is total knee replacement done?

In severe and widespread damage of the cartilage, and if the patient is older, knee replacement will be a better option. Knee replacement can be done for part or for the whole knee depending on the site and compartments involved. The worn out surface of the affected joint is removed using guides and a metallic implant is applied on the surface. The intervening space between the metallic implants is covered with high density plastic, which acts as a cushion.

What is the recovery process like?

Patients with knee and hip replacements can start walking with aids the very next day, especially if minimally invasive surgery techniques are employed. Minimally invasive techniques involve a smaller incision, which results in less pain and early return to function. Unicondylar knee replacement involves limited surgery to the portion that is damaged. Without total replacement, patients do recover faster. Not all patients are suitable for minimally invasive surgery or unicondylar replacement. Factors that determine the suitability include size of the patients, degree of damage of the joint and the severity of the deformity.

How long will the replaced joint last?

Total joint replacements of the hip and knee last for about 15 years. When the implants wear out, revision surgery to replace the joint is necessary. This is a technically more demanding surgery but the results can be equally gratifying.