Surgical Solutions

Q: I have severe osteoarthritis in my ankle, and I am considering surgery. What should I know about ankle replacement surgery? A: When osteoarthritis becomes severe and nonsurgical measures are no longer adequate to relieve symptoms, surgery is an option for some joints. Hip and knee replacements are common. There’s also a replacement surgery for […]

One of the most common problems in the front of the foot is a condition called hallux rigidus (which means big toe stiffness). Hallux rigidus is caused by mechanical wear in the joint where the big toe bone meets the rest of the foot. “The first thing that usually happens is a little bone spur […]

Several joints in the body, such as the knee, hip, shoulder and ankle, can be replaced with artificial implants. There’s also an implant procedure for the spine, although it’s less commonly performed than knee and hip replacement. The surgery is artificial disk replacement. One of the cushioning disks between two vertebrae (the small bones that […]

When pain from severe hip osteoarthritis can no longer be adequately controlled and you arent able to function normally, it may make sense to opt for hip replacement surgery. When this time comes, you will probably have many questions. For example, what exactly will the new hip be made of, and how long will it last?

If you fall onto your shoulder or your arm gets yanked too hard, you can dislocate a shoulder. Its usually painful, and you may notice that your arm is out of place. How a shoulder dislocation is treated and how urgently you need to seek treatment will depend on what happens when the ball pops out of the socket.

Q: Sometimes my knee locks up and I cant bend or straighten it. Eventually, I can move it, but its sore. Whats wrong with my knee?A: There are several possibilities, but the most likely one is a torn meniscus. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee joint. There are two types of cartilage in the knee. Articular cartilage covers the ends of the upper leg bone (femur) and the bone at the front of the lower leg (tibia).

While engaged in a woodworking project you plane a board, and then you run your hand over it to make sure its nice and smooth. But your hand wont lay flat against the board. Or, you are washing windows and you find that when you press the cloth against the window pane, your hand doesnt lay flat.

Blood Sugar Often Not Tested Before Joint Replacement SurgeryMany people with osteoarthritis also have type 2 diabetes. Having high blood sugar levels, which is characteristic of diabetes, can increase risk for complications from surgery. Addressing risk factors and lowering blood sugar levels can reduce complications. However, testing blood sugar levels before joint replacement surgery for hip or knee osteoarthritis is not done often enough, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open (September 2019).

When you have a joint replaced, your anesthesiologists job is to keep you comfortable and safe during your surgery and as pain-free as possible after the procedure. In the past, that often meant going under general anesthesia and getting strong narcotics to dull the pain. Not anymore. Today, when it comes to anesthesia, less is more.

Do you have pain in the front of your knee and feel a grinding sensation when you bend your knee? If so, you may have chondromalacia patella. This is the breakdown of articular cartilage on the underside of the kneecap (patella). Articular cartilage is a tough, elastic tissue that covers the ends of bones in the most mobile joints in the body, including the knees. It allows for smooth, pain-free movement.

Total knee replacement surgery is always the last resort. It is an option only after all other measures have failed to provide adequate relief. These include physical therapy, pain medications, corticosteroid injections, bracing and others. The goal of knee replacement surgery is to eliminate the chronic disability from pain. Youre not going to get the knee you had when you were 19, says Nageotte. But you can get pain relief and improved function.

If you are having joint replacement surgery, its likely that youll be going home soon after the surgery, possibly even the next day. Fewer and fewer people go to a rehabilitation facility, and thats for the best. Studies are showing that people who undergo joint replacement recover just as well at home.