Joint Replacement

Total joint replacement involves removing a joint damaged by arthritis or injury and replacing it with an artificial joint. A new joint may be necessary to relieve pain and restore movement in a damaged joint, usually after other therapies such as physical therapy and medications have failed.

The experienced Orthopaedic Medical Group at Holy Cross Hospital performs thousands of total joint replacements each year with excellent results – that means most patients return to the activities they enjoy with vastly improved mobility and very little, if any, pain. In fact, Holy Cross Hospital is a leader in total joint replacement, with patients traveling to us from all areas of Florida and the southeast United States.

Our surgeons are at the forefront of advanced techniques for joint replacement – particularly partial knee replacements (also known as unicompartmental knee replacement) and minimally invasive hip replacements – which means our patients have fewer complications and shorter recovery periods,

How is a total joint replacement performed?

The patient will be given an anesthetic and the surgeon will replace the damaged parts of the joint. For example, in an arthritic knee, the damaged ends of the bones and cartilage are replaced with metal and plastic surfaces that are shaped to restore knee movement and function. In an arthritic hip, the damaged ball (the upper end of the femur) is replaced by a metal ball attached to a metal stem fitted into the femur, and a plastic socket is implanted into the pelvis, replacing the damaged socket. Although hip and knee replacements are the most common, joint replacement can be performed on other joints.

The materials used in a total joint replacement are designed to enable the joint to move just like your normal joint. The prosthesis is generally composed of two parts: a metal piece that fits closely into a matching sturdy plastic piece.

What is the recovery process?

In general, the orthopaedist will encourage to use of the “new” joint shortly after the operation. After hip or knee replacement, the patient will often stand and begin walking the day after surgery, initially with the support of a walker, crutches or a cane.

Most patients have some temporary pain in the replaced joint because the surrounding muscles are weak from inactivity and the tissues are healing, but it will end in a few weeks or months.

Exercise is an important part of the recovery process. Our medical staff will design a personally-tailored exercise program to begin after surgery.

After surgery, the patient may be permitted to play golf, walk and dance. However, more strenuous sports, such as tennis or running, may be discouraged. The motion of the joint will generally improve after surgery. The extent of improvement will depend on how stiff the joint was before the surgery.

Revision Hip Surgery

Revision Surgery refers to re-operating on a hip that has already been reconstructed with a prosthesis. This may be necessary for a number of reasons. The most common is that the components have become loose and therefore the hip becomes painful.

Sometimes the hip is not painful but supporting bone is being destroyed. Revision is then necessary to try to stop this process to maintain long lasting hip function. Often, if we wait until that hip becomes painful, so much bone destruction has already occurred that the surgery becomes more extensive. The final result can then be compromised.

Revision Surgery is more difficult and time consuming than first time hip replacement surgery. Special equipment and skills are needed to accomplish it safely. The surgeons at Holy Cross have had excellent success in surgical outcomes as well as diagnosing surgical success.