Our joints experience normal wear-and-tear as we age, and the resulting injuries can cause a significant amount of damage. If conservative treatment methods do not work for you, or if they have worked in the past but they don’t work anymore, your doctor may recommend surgery.
Joint reconstruction surgery is a medical procedure that involves the repair of a damaged joint. It ranges from minor repairs to total joint replacement, and it can provide pain relief and permanent solutions to joint disorders. Most of the time, this surgical procedure involves the hips, knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders, or fingers.
Types of Joint Reconstruction Surgery
There are several types of joint reconstruction surgery that your doctor can recommend, depending on the location of your damaged joint and the extent of the damage. The most common procedures include the following:
1. Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy allows your doctor to perform minor repairs to joints through a small incision and with the use of a tiny fiber-optic camera function. It is a minimally invasive treatment option.
This procedure enables the surgeon to alleviate pressure in a stiff joint, to remove bone spurs, and to trim tissues that are causing harm to the joint. This type of surgical procedure commonly involves the knees, hips, and shoulders.
2. Joint Replacement Surgery
Joint replacement surgeries may either be total or partial, depending on your condition. With this type of surgery, your doctor replaces your damaged joint with a prosthesis.
The prosthetic joint is a specially made artificial joint that consists of medical-grade plastic, metal, and/or ceramic parts designed to move like a regular joint. Unlike the other reconstructive surgeries, this surgical procedure is more complicated and is for treating severe joint pain or dysfunction in the hip, shoulder, or knee.
Both hip replacement and robotic knee surgery are minimally invasive procedures. Medical technology has advanced to the point of enabling full joint construction surgery to be on an outpatient basis, if applicable.
3. Osteotomy
Osteotomy involves the removal of a section of bone near a damaged joint. For example, when this is performed on a knee that has arthritis, the arthritic bone is reshaped in such a way as to shift the weight evenly – thus providing pain relief and avoiding (or delaying) a total knee replacement.
4. Synovectomy
The lining of the joints, or the synovium, can become inflamed. When this occurs, the vulnerability can cause damage to its surrounding cartilage and bones. Thus, a synovectomy involves removing most or all of the affected synovium through surgery.
5. Arthrodesis (Joint Fusion)
Arthrodesis involves the fusion of two bones in a damaged joint in order to prevent movement and reduce pain. It is only performed when more conservative methods are no longer useful.
Joint Reconstruction Surgery in Michigan
Joint reconstruction surgery aims to greatly reduce or eliminate pain while also restoring the function of the affected joint. Often, this surgical procedure is the optimal solution for treating advanced arthritis and severe sports injuries.
Schedule a consultation with a skilled orthopedic physician at Movement Orthopedics. The doctor will give you a full evaluation and will determine whether surgery may be necessary or whether a less-invasive procedure is best for treating your pain or functionality issue.
You may call us at (586) 436-3785 or fill out our online appointment request form. We look forward to seeing you!
