New Technology...New Techniques

Since the first joint replacement surgery was performed in 1968, millions of patients have benefited from this procedure.

As the technology has advanced and improved, so has the joint replacement procedure.

Prosthesis designs, materials, and manufacturing methods are changing in an effort to lengthen the time an artificial knee or hip will serve its recipient - currently about 20 years. Surgeons are also refining surgical techniques or developing new techniques that offer their patients less radical surgeries with quicker recovery time.

In the minimally invasive knee replacement procedures, surgeons perform the same surgery as is performed in traditional total joint replacement. However, instead of exposing the entire knee or hip, the work is done through smaller incisions by positioning and other manipulating of the surgical site. This adds to the complexity and length of the surgery. Also, in minimally invasive surgery, muscles and tendons that are split and even detached in traditional surgery are less affected or not affected at all in minimally invasive surgery.

However, minimally invasive joint replacement surgery is still in the early stages of development and science has yet to compare the outcomes of these surgeries compared to the traditional replacement surgeries. And not all patients are candidates for minimally invasive surgery. Obesity, previous hip or knee surgery, and unusual anatomy may mean you are not a good candidate for minimally invasive surgery.

Another relatively new option that might be considered is a partial replacement of the joint. For example, unicompartmental knee replacement, which replaces only one compartment of the three parts of the knee joint. Currently, approximately 6 in 100 patients are candidates for this procedure. Patients must be healthy and not suffering from advanced stages of osteo- or rheumatoid arthritis.