Your joints are the places in your body where two or more of your bones connect. They provide your body with support and allow you to move. But sometimes, they crack, snap and pop, causing not only pain and discomfort but also limiting your ability to move.
When your joints aren’t functioning properly because of an injury or disease, joint preservation or replacement may provide relief. The orthopedic experts at Denver Health can help you determine when joint replacement is the right option.
The Denver Health Joint Replacement team offers options for minimally invasive, opioid-sparing procedures and some patients may be discharged the same day as their surgery.
What Is Total Joint Replacement?
Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is a surgical procedure in which a joint is entirely replaced using medical hardware.
When Is Total Joint Replacement Recommended?
TJA is performed for a variety of reasons, including osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, congenital and vascular disorders, and fractures.
What Are the Different Types of Joint Replacement Surgeries?
Total Hip Arthroplasty (Hip Replacement)
Hip replacement surgery is when a surgeon replaces a damaged or worn out hip joint with an artificial joint. This surgery may be a treatment for a hip fracture or for severe pain because of arthritis.
Total Knee Arthroplasty (Knee Replacement)
Knee replacement surgery is a treatment for severe pain that may be caused by injury or arthritis. This surgery typically involves replacing the bone with metal implants and plastic spacers.
Your doctor may recommend these surgeries if non-surgical treatment options have not been effective or if medical tests, such as x-rays, indicate that surgery is the best treatment option.
What Happens During the Surgery?
TJA surgery involves removal of the defective bone through small incisions in the hip or knee and insertion of metal implants. Surgery time is approximately 45 minutes.
How Long Does it Take to Recover from Total Joint Replacement Surgery?
You should be able to resume most normal activities of daily living within 3 to 6 weeks following surgery. Home exercises and formal physical therapy are key to the recovery process.
What Are the Risks of Joint Replacement Surgery?
While most TJA surgeries are very successful, there are some potential complications to be aware of including blood clots, wound infection, infection around the hardware, malfunction of the hardware and nerve injury.