Hip & Knee Joint Replacement
Hip and knee joint replacement removes damaged and diseased parts of a hip joint and replaces them with new, man made parts. The goals of joint replacement are to:
- Relieve pain
- Help the joint work better
- Improve walking and other movements
Literally hundreds of thousands of joint replacement procedures are performed by orthopedic surgeons yearly, usually on the hips and knees. When other forms of treatment have been tried, tested, and failed then the last choice of treatment is a joint replacement procedure. Joint replacement is highly successful in relieving pain, joint function and returning the patient to normal activities that they enjoyed in the past. With modern prosthesis a joint replacement can now last for up to 20 years in most cases.
Joints are formed by the ends of two or more bones connected by tissue called cartilage. The cartilage serves as a protective cushion, allowing smooth and low-friction movement of the joint. If the cartilage becomes damaged by disease or injury, the tissues around the joint become inflamed, causing pain. In time the cartilage wears away and the rough edges of bone rub against each other, causing more pain. To replace a total hip or knee joint, a surgeon removes the damaged or diseased parts and inserts artificial parts, called prostheses or implants.
The most common reason for having a hip or knee replaced is osteoarthritis. This degenerative joint disease which breaks down the joint’s cartilage is not only limited to older people. Although it most commonly affects people over the age of 45, younger men and women can also get this disease. Some people are born with deformed joints or defective cartilage, excessive weight, joint fracture, ligament tears, or other injury can all lead to degeneration of the joints.
The hip joint is a ball and socket, allowing a wide range of motion. The ball of the joint, the top of the thigh bone, moves within the hollow socket of the pelvis. A layer of cartilage allows the ball to glide smoothly inside the socket. In total hip replacement, the surgeon cuts away the ball part of the joint, replacing it with a ball attached to a stem that is wedged into a hollowed out space in the thigh bone. Damaged cartilage and bone are removed from the socket and a cup like component is inserted into the socket.
The largest joint in the body, the knee is formed where the lower part of the thighbone joins the upper part of the shin bone and the kneecap. Shock absorbing cartilage covers the surface where these three bones touch. In a standard total knee replacement, the damaged areas of the thighbone, shinbone and kneecap are removed and replaced by prostheses. The ends of the remaining bones are smoothed and reshaped to accommodate the prostheses. Both hip and knee replacement procedures usually require a 4 -5 day stay in hospital. The rehabilitation process can be started the day after surgery and most patients can return to a normal lifestyle within 3 months.
For more information on hip and knee joint replacement please contact Phyathai Sriracha Hospital Joint Replacement Center on international direct line number: 66 (0)87-1000990 Email: [email protected] www.phyathai-sriracha.com
