Joint care

Treatments for arthritis

Our orthopedic specialists diagnose and treat conditions caused or made worse by arthritis. We might recommend lifestyle changes, medication, rehabilitation or surgery.

Surgical joint treatments

If your condition is too complex for nonsurgical methods like physical therapy and medication, or if it fails to respond to them, you might need surgery. Our doctors choose minimally invasive surgery whenever possible. These procedures involve making small incisions and using them to operate. Recovery time is typically shorter following a minimally invasive surgery. There are several different types of joint replacement surgeries we perform, depending on the area that's giving you trouble.

Alternative implants

Joint replacement surgery is never one-size-fits-all, and this includes the implant material. Although metal implants are used in most cases, it's possible for you to have an allergy to either the metal implant or the implant fixation product — sometimes referred to as "bone cement." In rare cases, you might have an allergy to both of these materials.

We offer alternative joint replacement methods for those people who are allergic to metal and cement. We can refer you to one of our partner facilities to run tests that reveal whether you have any of these allergies.

Ankle replacement

Getting an ankle replacement might be necessary if you have arthritis that's causing persistent joint pain, swelling and difficulty walking. These symptoms occur when the smooth cartilage on the surface of your bones wears away from wear and tear over long periods of time.

Your ankle, or tibiotalar joint, is where your shinbone rests on the top of your foot, formally called the talus bone. An ankle joint replacement removes any damaged parts of your shinbone and talus, replacing them with plastic or metal prosthetics that mimic your natural joint. We offer several types of ankle replacements to suit your particular situation.

Hip replacement

The goal of a hip replacement is to use prosthetics to eliminate persistent hip pain caused by arthritis. If your condition is more acute and not arthritic in nature, you might be a candidate for a partial hip replacement.

A hip replacement is one procedure that might qualify for a minimally invasive approach. This is true for both anterior (surgery from the front of the hip) and posterior (surgery from the back of the hip) surgeries.

Knee replacement

If you're experiencing knee pain that hinders your ability to perform daily activities — such as standing up, walking, using stairs or sitting — knee replacement surgery might be right for you.

In this procedure, we remove damaged bone and cartilage from the bones in your knee and replace them with prosthetics. The type of prosthetic and surgical technique we use is determined by your age, weight, overall health, size of your knee and any allergies you might have to certain prosthetic materials.

Press-fit knee replacement

As knee replacement techniques and materials evolve, we incorporate these advances with the hope of improving your outcomes. Allergies to bone cement prosthetics is one concern we address by offering press-fit knee replacements.

These procedures don't use cement or glue to attach the artificial knee to the bone. Instead, we affix it with porous metal implants that allow your bone to grow and permanently bond to the implant without the use of cement.

Shoulder replacement

Whether your condition requires a total or partial shoulder replacement, you might need surgery if you have osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, osteonecrosis, fractures or a rotator cuff injury. This procedure is done with the intention of relieving the constant pain these conditions can inflict, increasing your strength and improving your functionality and range of motion.

Like hip and knee replacements, shoulder replacement surgery involves replacing the damaged bone and cartilage in your shoulder with metal or plastic prosthetics.

Joint revision surgery

Some people have postsurgical complications or deterioration of the artificial joint that causes issues. In cases like these, we recommend total joint revision surgery.

Symptoms that might indicate you need this procedure include:

• Bone loss
• Instability
• Loosening of a bone such as the femoral, tibial or patella
• Persistent pain
• Stiffness
• Surgical site infections
• Wear on the implants or plastic lining

How to know if you need joint replacement surgery

Joint replacement surgery is a last resort in many cases. We usually attempt to correct the issue with nonsurgical treatments first. However, sometimes, it's not possible to avoid a joint replacement procedure.

We may need to consider surgical options if your pain has become unmanageable and you've experienced any of the following:

• Difficulty sitting or lying down
• Ineffective medication
• Ineffective physical therapy
• Medication side effects
• Persistent joint pain that limits everyday activities

Avascular necrosis care

Avascular necrosis (also called osteonecrosis) is a condition in which blood supply is restricted or cut off from a bone due to trauma. When blood supply is inadequate, the affected bone begins to die. This most often occurs in your hip but can also occur in your knee or shoulder.

If you are referred to our team because of pain, stiffness and restricted motion, we use imaging tests to rule out other causes for your symptoms before diagnosing you with avascular necrosis.

If you have avascular necrosis, we might create a treatment plan that includes nonsurgical techniques like medication, rest, exercise and electrical stimulation to prevent further bone loss.

In more severe cases, surgical intervention is sometimes necessary. We then work with you to create a care plan that might include a surgical option such as core decompression, bone transplant, bone reshaping or joint replacement.

Regardless of your situation, we take the time to learn about your lifestyle and your goals for the future. This gives us the opportunity to design a treatment plan that's most beneficial for you.