The Right Approach for You
Primary candidates for joint replacement are individuals with chronic joint pain from arthritis that interferes with daily activities, walking, exercise, leisure, recreation, and work. The surgery aims to relieve pain, restore your independence, and return you to work and other daily activities.
Orthopedic teams at Spectrum Health Lakeland routinely perform hip, knee, and shoulder replacement surgeries. Your team includes physicians, nurses, and physical and occupational therapists specializing in total joint care. Every detail, from preoperative teaching to postoperative exercising, is considered and reviewed with you.
Surgeons on Lakeland’s medical staff use the Stryker navigation system to perform Computer-Assisted Surgery (CAS), the latest technology to visualize a patient’s unique anatomy with unsurpassed accuracy, and without additional radiation exposure.
Computer-assisted joint replacement surgery:
- May help to reduce joint wear and extend the life of the implant
- May allow for less-invasive surgical techniques
- Provides your surgeon with comprehensive data about your anatomy
During computer-assisted surgery, specialized software creates a three-dimensional, digital roadmap for the surgeon to follow. The surgeon then matches the patient’s actual anatomy to the virtual 3D model displayed on a monitor. Much like GPS in a car, the surgeon is then able to track in real time the position of surgical instruments.
Following surgery, the Total Joint Camp staff will plan your individual treatment program and guide you through it.
Different Approaches to Joint Replacement
Total Hip Replacement
A hip implant replaces the cartilage that has worn away over the years. Made up of a number of components, the "ball" is placed on a stem that fits directly in your femur or thigh bone. The socket of your pelvis is resurfaced with a special plastic to hold the ball in place.
Anterior Hip Replacement
A less invasive approach to hip replacement surgery, the surgeon accesses the hip joint from the front (anterior) of the hip, as opposed to the lateral (side) or posterior (back). The surgeon can replace the hip without detaching any muscles or tendons. This means that the most important muscles needed for hip functioning are untouched, requiring no healing.
Because anterior hip replacement surgery uses a small incision and the muscles surrounding your hip are moved rather than cut, the result is less damage and trauma to the soft tissues around your hip. Hip precautions after surgery are much easier to comply with after an anterior approach.
Partial Knee Replacement
During a partial knee replacement, a surgeon replaces damaged cartilage and bone in just one portion on the knee. This approach offers benefits over a total knee replacement, including smaller incisions, less trauma to the bone and surrounding tissue, smaller implants, less pain and faster recovery.
Total Knee Replacement
Similar to a total hip replacement, a diseased or damaged knee joint is replaced with an artificial one called a prosthesis. Made of metal alloys and high-grade plastics, the artificial joint is designed to move and function just like a human joint. Over the years, knee replacement techniques and the implants themselves have undergone countless improvements. Today, knee implants are being designed to last longer, resist wear, and sized to better fit a person’s individual anatomy.
Reverse® Shoulder Replacement
In patients with severe rotator cuff damage, the shoulder joint can become unstable, severely restricting the patient’s range of motion. Over time, bone starts to rub against bone when the out-of-balance joint wears down cartilage. New metal-and-polyethylene implants mimic the natural anatomy of the shoulder, but provides a deeper socket to stabilize the joint. Even patients who have suffered from severe shoulder arthritis now have surgical options.