Painful, aching joints can signal the onset of arthritis. It often starts with periods of stiffness in the joint, but over time it may progress to constant pain, even with minimal movement. Traditional knee and hip joint replacements have brought welcome relief for hundreds of thousands of people with arthritis.
Over the last several years, surgeons have developed less invasive procedures for joint replacement surgery. For hip replacements, this involves making a four to five inch incision either in the back or the front of the hip. Smaller incisions in combination with improved pain management and accelerated rehabilitation have made recovery from joint replacement surgery easier and with less pain.
Replacement of the knee is also done through smaller incisions. No muscles are divided but regaining range of motion requires hard work on the part of patients. Partial or unicompartmental knee replacement is done through a smaller incision and usually only requires an overnight stay in the hospital.
The Joint Center at Valley Medical Center continuously evaluates new, promising techniques and is also committed to making sure patients have excellent results over the long term. Each patient is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and all available options are considered, including less-invasive replacements, computer-assisted techniques and traditional joint replacement surgery.
VOA surgeon William Barrett, M.D. is the medical director for The Joint Center at Valley Medical Center. Read Dr. Barrett’s blog to keep up on the latest in joint replacement surgery.