When Does Joint Replacement Surgery Become Essential?

When a person faces joint pain, stiffness, swelling, limited motion, muscle weakness, limping because of any deformity, they opt for some treatment from experts. Generally, the doctor tries to help the people struggling with all these issues with some medications and physical therapy at first. However, if the results do not come as expected, doctors might advise for the surgery, which is a highly effective way of eliminating the pain and deformity. With the help of the surgery, the patient’s mobility is improved. To treat advanced arthritis, joint replacement surgery plays a vital role. Subject to the amount of damage and the joint that is affected, people face some severe trouble in performing their daily routine activities.

As per the best joint replacement hospitals in India, to relieve the pain and restore their quality of life, joint replacement surgery is a very safe procedure. To live the life how one wants to live is what every person wishes, and if the person is struggling with the pain and limited range of motion in joints, proper treatment is a must. One must seek advice from the expert before one opts to go for the surgery to cure the joint-related problems.

Joint problem causes:

Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the most common causes of the problems related to the joints. But the cause of arthritis is yet uncertain. Here is the list of several things by joint replacement hospitals in India which might contribute weakening of the joint and lead to arthritis:

● Heredity (runs in the family)

● Difficulties with the development of the joint

● Genetic tendency to issues with the cartilage

● Repetitive injuries which are majorly minor

● Severe trauma to the cushioning tissue at the end of the bones (joint cartilage)

● Overweight (overweight not necessarily cause arthritis, but it contributes to the early joint-related problems which can quickly turn out to be worse)

What happens during joint replacement surgery?

The replacement of any damaged cartilage and any bone loss is done with the help of surgery. The damaged joint is resurfaced and with the help of muscles and ligaments. Titanium, stainless steel, cobalt chrome, ceramic material, and plastic (polyethylene) are used to make the replacement joint (prosthesis). With the help of an acrylic cement, a replacement joint is attached to the bone, or it can be press-fit. This is very helpful as it allows the bone to grow into the implant. To be able to move and use the unit, the patient undergoing surgery will have to start with the physical therapy once the joint replacement is in place.

What are the most common types of joint replacement surgery?

● Total Hip Replacement (THR)

To replace the hip socket and the “ball” or femur (head of the thigh bone), doctors suggest a total hip replacement surgery. Doctors resurface the ball and socket where bone and cartilage have been lost. Then artificial ball and socket are inserted into the healthy bone.

People who struggle with severe hip joint pain caused by arthritis are recommended for hip replacement surgery

● Total Knee Replacement (TKR)

To treat advanced or end-stage arthritis, knee replacement surgery is performed. When the medicines, therapy, or other treatment fails to help to relieve the pain and improve the movement, knee replacement surgery might work. With the severe deformity, knee replacement surgery is highly recommended by the experts. There is damage to the coating or gliding surface called the articular cartilage. It leads to deformity, knock-knees, crepitus (knee sounds) and the need of the knee replacement surgery arises.

● Total Shoulder Joint Replacement

It is needed to cure the people who are facing issues like advanced forms of rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, serious injury from a shoulder joint fracture. Improving motion, relieving pain, strength, and function are the main goals of the total shoulder replacement surgery. The shoulder is also a large ball-and-socket joint like the hip joint. When there is no relief in pain even after the therapy or other treatment methods, total shoulder replacement is the best option.