What is a Total Joint Replacement?

Total joint replacement surgery is just that -- the total replacement of the joint, most often the knee or hip joint.

During the procedure, the joint is completely removed and replaced with a prosthetic joint made of plastic, metal alloys, and other durable materials.

The joint may be attached with surgical cement, or in younger individuals with healthy bones, it may be attached with a cementless compound that allows your own bone to grow into the surface of the joint implant.

Though this surgery was once rarely performed and required weeks of hospital stay and recovery, improved technology and surgical techniques now make this a proven option for many people. Today, total joint replacement patients are most often up and walking the day of the surgery or the following morning, and they begin rehab almost immediately.

Other joints besides the hip and knee that are often replaced include the shoulder, ankle, foot, and finger.