Joint Replacement / Reconstruction / Repair
Sometimes, the best way to eliminate your joint pain and restore your mobility is with surgery.
Ask your Movement Orthopedics provider if you are a good candidate for a surgical approach to either preserve or replace a problematic joint. If so, you may have a variety of surgical options when it comes to joint replacement, repair, or reconstruction.
The surgeons at Movement Orthopedics are experts in a variety of minimally invasive approaches that can significantly reduce your post-op pain, as well as speed your recovery time. We also utilize the most innovative technologies and advanced techniques for the best possible surgical outcomes.
Repair & Reconstruction vs. Joint Replacement
Let’s start by understanding the differences between joint repair and reconstruction versus joint replacement surgeries.
- Joint Repair & Reconstruction (Joint Preservation) If the damage at your joint is minor to moderate, the joint may be preserved with surgery to repair the damage. For example, your surgeon may smooth certain surfaces of the joint, or realign the joint to allow smooth, frictionless movement – which also effectively relieves your joint pain. Joint preservation procedures are typically done using minimally invasive arthroscopy.
- Joint Replacement If your condition is severe and the joint is already too damaged to be preserved, your orthopedic surgeon may recommend a joint replacement surgery. This involves replacing damaged portions of the joint with artificial parts. Knee and hip joint replacements are the most common types of replacements performed.
Any joint in your body may require surgery. Most often, joint replacement is used for weight-bearing joints, such as the knees and hips. It may also be necessary for large joints, such as the shoulder. Joint preservation surgeries are typically done on these joints, as well as at the ankles, elbows, and fingers.
Your Joint Surgery Options
Every patient we see is unique – and surgery to repair or replace a damaged joint should be, too. That’s why, at Movement Orthopedics, we customize your surgical treatment plan based on many factors, including the type and degree of your joint dysfunction, severity of your symptoms, your age, activity level, expectations, and overall health.
At Movement Orthopedics, our surgeons specialize in the latest surgical techniques, including:
Arthroscopy involves the use of a tiny, flexible tube with a video camera and minuscule surgical instruments. Your orthopedic surgeon will access the joint through a very small incision and be able to simultaneously diagnose and treat many different issues via real-time video of the inside of the joint.
An arthroscopic surgery is an outpatient procedure, which allows you to go home the same day as your surgery. Because the incision size and surgical instruments used are so small, patients experience much less pain and a faster recovery than with traditional open surgery. Patients are often standing and walking hours after surgery and able to drive again in as little as one week. Because the surgery is done on an outpatient basis, the risk of post-op, hospital-acquired infections is nearly eliminated.
Often performed as an outpatient procedure, robotic-assisted joint replacement surgery is one of the most advanced, state-of-the-art surgical systems available today. This alternative to traditional joint replacement surgery offers unparalleled precision, a fast and relatively painless recovery, and an extremely natural-feeling fit.
First of all, robotic-assisted surgery allows our orthopedic surgeons to customize your joint replacement based on your unique anatomy. We begin by creating a 3D representation of your joint’s unique shape and profile. This allows us to create a surgery plan and prosthesis customized to your individual specifications.
Second, during surgery, your Movement Orthopedics surgeon uses computer-programmed instruments that can bend, rotate, and move in ways that are simply impossible for a human hand to replicate. This provides enhanced precision when placing and positioning your new artificial joint. Because robotic-assistance is so precise, more surrounding healthy tissue remains unharmed during the surgery, resulting in less pain, less scarring, and a faster rehabilitation period.
It is important to note that your surgeon remains in control at all times during a robotic-assisted surgery.
The latest advances in hip replacement surgery include a muscle-sparing technique referred to as a “direct anterior” approach. It involves making a 3” – 4” incision at the front of the hip (rather than from the rear), which allows your surgeon to move aside muscles rather than having to cut the muscles or detach tendons. By avoiding trauma to healthy muscle and tendons, patients are able to recover much faster, and with fewer activity restrictions, after a hip replacement surgery.
In addition to treating your joint dysfunction and alleviating your joint pain, Movement Orthopedics’ physical therapy department can help you heal and strengthen the muscles around your joint, so you can return to your previous level of activity after surgery, with minimal downtime.
Joint Replacement & Preservation Surgery in Michigan
Patients who have undergone our joint replacement or preservation surgeries at Movement Orthopedics have experienced optimal outcomes, as well as fast healing and recovery times.
Find out if you are a candidate for same-day, outpatient joint replacement or repair surgery. Call Movement Orthopedics in Clinton Township, Michigan, at (586) 436-3785 or request an appointment now to discuss it with one of our orthopedic surgeons.
