Hip and Knee Joint Replacement
Arthritis of the hip and knee are very common orthopedic problems. The incidence of hip and knee arthritis is rapidly increasing. This is in part due to people living longer and thus putting more mileage on their joints. Also, in an effort to stay healthy, many people exercise more. This may vary from jogging and playing tennis to walking for exercise. Many of us are overweight which also puts stress on our joints.
Arthritis begins as an inflammation or wearing away of the joint and eventually leads to joint destruction. Early treatment varies from medication for arthritis to steroid or mucoviscous (rooster comb) injections into the knee joint. When the arthritis becomes severe, the cartilage lining the joint wears away and bone rubs on bone resulting in severe pain, limp, and decreased function with limitation of joint motion. Eventually, joint replacement surgery is the only remaining treatment. Joint replacement surgery of the hip and knee are relatively safe and very successful. Joint replacement surgery is one of the most important advances in orthopedic surgery in the past century.
At the Bone and Joint Clinic of Houston, we do the mini incision surgery for hip replacements. A smaller incision decreases pain and tissue injury and increases function earlier. The type of prosthesis we use varies from ceramics, metal on metal, to metal on polyethylene. The polyethylene we use is the longevity type, or longer lasting plastic.
Patients usually get up and walk the day or evening of surgery and are able to bear full weight on their operative leg. You spend three to four days in the hospital and are then discharged to your home at that time, with the plan for most people to use outpatient rehabilitation. Few patients will require an inpatient rehabilitation stay. The prosthetic selection, activity level, and date of discharge will vary from patient to patient.
Knee replacement surgery is a frequently performed procedure for the physicians at the Bone and Joint Clinic of Houston. The implant has a metal on polyethylene articulation. Additionally, several of the physicians here use the gender prosthesis on almost all female patients. This is a relatively new prosthesis that allows additional knee motion in a more rapid time. For men, we use the Zimmer Nexgen knee, or the high flex knee.
We feel that the operative procedure is only 60% of the knee replacement and 80% of the hip replacement. Post operative followup and rehabilitation is essential for a successful result.
Doctors
Sherwin Siff,
Roy Smith,
Tom Greider, and
Randy Sassard make up the joint replacement team at the Bone and Joint Clinic of Houston.
Schedule an appointment with one our physicians today to see what options may be right for you and your arthritic hip or knee.

Normal knee xray

Arthritic knee xray

Knee replacement xray

Normal knee lateral xray

Knee replacement lateral xray
Links
www.aaos.org
Knee arthritis and replacement
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00228
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00399
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00212
Zimmer Nexgen knee
http://www.zimmer.com/z/ctl/op/global/action/1/id/355/template/PC/prcat/P3/prod/y
Zimmer Gender Solutions knee
http://www.zimmer.com/ctl?template=PC&op=global&action=1&id=9518
Hip arthritis and replacement
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00213
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00377
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00396
Minimal Incision Hip replacement
http://www.zimmer.com/z/ctl/op/global/action/1/id/9420/template/PC/navid/2058
http://www.zimmer.com/z/ctl/op/global/action/1/id/362/template/PC/prcat/P2/prod/y
http://www.zimmer.com/z/ctl/op/global/action/1/id/35/template/MP/prcat/M2/prod/y
Normal Hip

Hip Arthritis
Total Hip Replacement