What’s New in Joint Replacement Surgery?


Joint replacement surgery may be the most appropriate option when persistent joint pain, due to arthritis, causes disability and interferes with daily life. This commonly applies to the hip or knee where a degenerative form of arthritis, called osteoarthritis, often develops.

After all other courses of treatment have been tried, joint replacement surgery can dramatically reduce pain and restore a person’s quality-of-life. Called arthroplasty, the surgery involves removing the damaged joint and replacing it with an artificial one.

Latest in joint replacement surgery
Considered a major surgery, new technology and advances in surgical and anesthetic techniques have greatly reduced the risks involved with joint replacement surgery. For example, Brigham and Women’s surgeons operating on the knee are now using a minimally invasive technique that is as effective as traditional open surgery but provides important advantages.

Minimally invasive rotating platform total knee replacement is a relatively new procedure that uses a less invasive technique that reduces blood loss and tissue trauma. The goal of minimally invasive total knee replacement is to improve short-term results without changing the excellent long-term outcome. Most patients who require total knee replacement can be appropriate candidates for the minimally invasive approach.

Other important advances include developments in anesthesia and pain management that speed rehabilitation and play a pivotal role in successful minimally invasive knee replacement surgery.

“In the past, the surgery involved significant incisions to the knee and caused trauma to the surrounding tissue, which resulted in long, painful recuperation periods. These latest techniques directly help patients by reducing pain and shortening their recovery,” says Thomas S. Thornhill, MD, Orthopedist-in-Chief within the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.