Joint Surgery — Hip and Knee

There are several types of hip and knee surgery. The surgeons at Orthopaedic Physicians of Colorado will diagnose your joint problem and recommend the particular type of joint surgery that will benefit you most. Arthroscopy is sometimes the best solution, and you can read more about arthoscopy here.

Bone Fusion (Arthrodesis)

Arthrodesis is a surgical procedure in which two bones that form a joint are joined so that they will fuse. After this procedure your joint will be less flexible, but you will have significantly less pain.

Osteotomy

Osteotomy is a surgical procedure used to correct a bone deformity by cutting and repositioning the bone.

Synovectomy

Synovectomy is a surgical procedure used to prevent joint damage and to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. During a synovectomy, the lining of the joints (the synovium or synovial membrane) is removed.

Unicondylar Knee Replacement

The knee joint has three compartments: medial, lateral, and kneecap. When just one of the two main compartments, the medial or lateral, is severely affected by arthritis, in certain situations — if your surgeon thinks it's the best solution for you — a unicondylar knee replacement can be performed to replace just that half of the joint.

Resection

Joints can sometimes become so painful that they require resection — the surgical removal of all or part of a bone.

Arthroplasty

Arthroplasty is a surgical procedure in which a joint is rebuilt. The surgeon resurfaces or relines the end of bones where cartilage and/or the bone itself is damaged.

Total Joint Replacement

Total joint replacement is a type of arthroplasty. Total joint replacement can be a very effective surgical treatment for patients with advanced arthritis of the hip or knee, and less frequently the shoulder. Joint replacement is only considered to be an option when non-surgical treatment has not significantly reduced chronic joint pain.

During joint replacement surgery, your surgeon removes worn cartilage from both sides of the joint, and then resurfaces the joint with a metal and plastic replacement that looks and functions much like a normal joint.

Joint replacement surgery may be an option for you if:

• joint pain limits your everyday activities.
• the pain in your joint continues even while you are sitting or lying down.
• medications don’t help that much, or if you experience unpleasant or harmful side-effects from them.
• physical therapy and other treatments are not effective.

Rivision Joint Replacement

Total joint replacements may not last forever. When a joint replacement becomes loose or just wears out, your surgeon can perform a surgical procedure called revision joint replacement to repair it.

Call Orthopaedic Physicians of Colorado at 303-789-2663 to schedule an appointment at one of our locations in the Denver metropolitan area to discuss treatment of any hip or knee problems you may be experiencing.