We have several joint doctors for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and other related pathologies; joint replacement becomes the most effective option to correct the dysfunctions suffered by your joints.
In this sense, after exhausting efforts in the application of physical therapies and/or pharmacological treatments, total joint replacement allows mobility to be recovered, deformities to be corrected and the terrible pain caused by this condition to be permanently relieved. In addition to these severe joint discomforts, these patients also have limitations in movement, inflammation in the affected area and stiffness or extreme muscle weakness, so our joint specialists should help you review this pathology.
For this reason, some basic functions such as walking, going up or down stairs and even putting on shoes, can be greatly limited; but thanks to replacement surgery, it is possible to achieve full recovery and functionality.
While an orthopedic prosthesis is used during joint replacement to replace damaged (dysfunctional) parts of a limb, it remains the last alternative before exhausting physical therapy and other less invasive techniques. In any case, the damage suffered by a joint that will eventually lead to a joint replacement and that one of our joint specialists should review, is associated with one of the following main causes:
Age of the patient.
Presence of degenerative diseases (Arthritis, just to mention one of them).
Recurrent impact wear (condition associated with sports practice; common in highly competitive athletes).
Therefore, for the placement of a prosthesis, an exhaustive evaluation of the case is carried out and once all available alternatives have been ruled out, surgery will be scheduled.
When the diagnosis comes from specialists in Joints and is timely and precise, the surgical alternative becomes the most convenient option for those patients with joint disease in its last stage. In fact, thanks to the advances of modern medicine, joint surgery today offers great reliability and maximum durability in its results.
In particular, to carry out the procedure, the cartilage that presents wear on both sides of the joint is removed and the implant is located, which is generally composed of titanium, cobalt, stainless steel, ceramic and polyethylene. In either case, the piece can be fixed by adjustment or by applying acrylic cement.
Finally, bone regeneration in principle and then post-operative therapy will help to recover the natural mobility of the new joint; making the patient resume their usual functions without major inconveniences and following the recommendations of the specialist to lead a consistent and healthy lifestyle.
On the other hand, as in any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with the practice of this surgery; among which the presence of blood clots, infections or a rejection and/or defect in the artificial piece stands out. However, joint surgery offers a high percentage of satisfactory results; which makes it currently one of the most popular surgical interventions of its kind.
