Joint Replacement Can Restore an Active Lifestyle

Golfing, tennis, gardening, playing with children or just plain walking. These activities can be quite painful to people suffering from arthritis, other musculoskeletal disease, or injuries. You can enjoy these activities again thanks to one of the major orthopaedic surgical advances of our time — joint replacement. Joint replacement provides relief of joint pain, stiffness and immobility, resulting in a more active, pain-free, independent lifestyle.

The most frequent reason for performing a total joint replacement is to relieve the pain and disability caused by severe arthritis as the result of disease, aging or injury. The surfaces of a joint may be damaged by osteoarthritis, a wearing away of the cartilage in a joint. In rheumatoid arthritis, chemical substances attack the joint surface and destroy the cartilage. Any joint may be affected. The most common surgical sites are knee, hip, shoulder, elbow and ankle.

Arthritis symptoms may include:

• Swelling in the joint
• Stiffness particularly in the morning
• Inability to move a joint normally or walk a reasonable distance
• Recurring pain or tenderness
• Warmth and redness in the joint

The Procedure
The Texas Center for Joint Replacement offers the latest technological advances in joint replacement. Different procedures are used depending on factors such as the nature of the disease or injury, the age of the patient and the condition of the bone.

Exceptional and Measurable Quality Care
The Texas Center for Joint Replacement focuses its efforts on the most up-to-date procedures and practices to ensure high quality care and cost effectiveness. The concept involves a synchronized approach with the orthopaedic surgeon, the family physician, anesthesiologist, nursing staff and rehabilitation. Procedures and protocols are well defined and matched to the individual patient's needs.

The Outcome
Joint replacement does change people's lives. For many arthritis sufferers, a total hip, knee, shoulder or elbow replacement can lessen pain and stiffness. Most older patients can expect their total joint replacement to last a lifetime and give years of pain-free living that would not have been otherwise possible.