What You Should Know About Total Joint Replacement Surgery
Because our joints don't bother us often now, we take for granted that we have the ability to walk, jog, run, bend over or reach out for things. But as we age, some may need total Joint Replacement Surgery because of conditions that affect them like injuries that involve our joints or rheumatoid or osteoarthritis. While these have been challenging operations to recover from in the past, advances in technology and techniques have reduced recovery time dramatically. To understand why joint replacement is necessary it's important to understand how the joints work. What makes the joints work smoothly is the cartilage where the bones come together at a joint, no matter if it is the hip, knee, elbow, ankle, or the shoulder. Cartilage allows for pain-free and frictionless movement and typically has a smooth texture. But movement can become rather painful when the cartilage is severely worn or damaged. When the joint is worn enough to cause bone on bone rubbing, even minor daily activ