Dr. Smith is a fellowship-trained, Board Certified orthopaedic surgeon with extensive training in hip & knee surgery from the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota & the New Albany Surgical Hospital in New Albany, Ohio. He completed his Orthopedic Surgery Residency at Michigan State University & medical school..
Patients with diabetes were no more likely to suffer infection, deep vein thrombosis(a deep vein blood clot) or other complications following total knee replacement(TKR) than patients without diabetes, according to new research published online today, in advance of its publication in the March 2013 Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).
Jeffery Katz, MD, of Orthopedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and colleagues led the study to determine if patients with a meniscal tear and knee osteoarthritis had better outcomes with surgery plus physical therapy or just physical therapy.
Getting back to work after knee-replacement surgery is a big concern for people contemplating the procedure. Now, a new study shows that most people return to work after a total knee replacement -- even those with physically demanding jobs.
"We are now reaching a population that is younger and actively working. Most have very arthritic knees and expect to go back to work," Orozco said. Better implant materials that support more weight, improved surgical techniques that spare muscle, and better post-surgery patient care plans -- including pain management and physical therapy -- have increased the popularity of knee replacement in recent years, he said.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder and affects about one-third of older adults. New research suggests that cartilage damage from exercise may aid in early detection of osteoarthritis.
"We discovered that GAG-depleted tissue is most vulnerable to high rates of loading and not just the magnitude of the load. This finding suggests that people with early degradation of cartilage, even before such changes would be felt as pain, should be careful of dynamic activities such as running or jumping," Grodzinsky was quoted as saying.
Larry Kufel had always been an active man, tall and rangy, who worked out regularly and picked up basketball games at the gym. But age was taking a toll on his joints, and it had become clear that he needed a hip replacement.
The procedure that Mr. Kufel received is called anterior hip replacement. The surgeon makes the incision at the front of the hip instead of through the buttocks or the side of the hip. This approach permits the doctor to reach the hip socket without cutting through major muscle groups. Proponents claim that the procedure results in less pain and fewer complications for patients than standard hip replacement.
The numbers are sky-rocketing. There were more than 300 thousand total hip replacements in 2010, that's up 135 thousand compared to just ten years earlier. As more and more people need help to relieve the pain, there's an option that's becoming popular with patients and surgeons.
"It's a less invasive approach," Stefan Kreuzer, MD, associate professor at Memorial Hermann Hospital, told Ivanhoe. He went through the front of her leg to get to her hip, instead of the more traditional technique of going through the back.
The doctor says the normal post-operative restrictions on hip movements do not apply to patients who undergo direct anterior hip replacement. He tells us it great for most people in need of a hip replacement, including highly active patients. The doctor is currently training surgeons from around the world on the technique.
"It's a 'micro-invasive' technique," says Grandic.
And it offers myriad advantages over other techniques.
"All muscles, tendons, ligaments and soft tissue are spared, and the hip socket is never twisted into unnatural positions during surgery," Grandic explains.
Thus, he says, patients experience little or no post-operative discomfort; are able to walk immediately, with no restrictions; and are usually discharged from the hospital within 24 to 48 hours.
Total hip replacement and smoking cigarettes just don't mix. That's because smoking can cramp the healing process. Even quitting just before surgery is better than not quitting at all.
Researchers recently studied a group of patients who had undergone total hip replacement surgery. Patients who were current smokers had higher rates of infection, pain and loosened hip joints, which had to be corrected with a second surgery, compared to non-smokers.
The surgery is extensive. It involves removing the joint – the damaged bone and cartilage – and replacing it with prosthetic parts made of metal, plastic or ceramics. Typically, surgeons enter the joint from the rear, which requires cutting through muscle and cartilage. But a relatively new procedure enables surgeons to enter from the front and only stretch the muscles aside, avoiding the cutting and minimizing pain and recovery time. Those who use this anterior technique say the benefits are substantial.
Hip joint replacements can help patients regain normal mobility. But just like any surgery, risks are involved in hip replacement. And women may have a higher risk than men when it comes to failure of the new hip.
Women were slightly more likely than men to have a failed hip replacement within three years of surgery, according to a new study.
The findings highlighted the risks and precautions patients should consider before deciding to get a new hip.
