|
Total Joint Replacement A total joint replacement occurs when an arthritic or damaged joint is removed and replaced with an artificial joint, called a prosthesis. This procedure becomes necessary when joint pain becomes so severe that a person will avoid using the joint. By doing this the muscles surrounding the joint weaken, making it ever more difficult to move the painful area. The ends of two or more bones, which are connected by thick tissues, form a joint. For example, your knee joint is formed by the lower leg bone, called the tibia or shinbone, and your thighbone, called the femur. Your hip is a ball and socket joint, formed by the upper end of the femur, the ball, and a part of the pelvis called the acetabulum, the socket. The bone ends of a joint are covered with a smooth layer called cartilage. Normal cartilage allows nearly frictionless and pain-free movement. However, when the cartilage is damaged or diseased by arthritis, joints become stiff and painful. Every joint is enclosed by a fibrous tissues envelope or a capsule with a smooth tissue lining called the synovium. The synovium produces fluid that reduces friction and wear in a joint. For more information of a total joint procedure and recovery please visit the AAOS Patient Education Directory.
|
|