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Joint Restoration

Restoring Injured Joints

Your joint is the area in your body where two bones connect and attach to each other, thus forming your skeletal system and allowing your body parts such as your hips, knees, shoulders, or elbows to move.

Sometimes, your joints may not be able to function the way they are supposed to because of injury, trauma, or as a result of a disease. They may swell up or become stiff, and the surrounding ligaments and bursae may get affected. When this happens, it can be very painful and debilitating.

In such cases, joint restoration at the earliest is of utmost importance. Following various procedures, injured joints are repaired and healed, so that the functionality can be restored again.

At Bay Area Orthopaedic and Sports Specialists, we have plenty of experience in all kinds of joint restoration. Dr. Warren Strudwick is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who has successfully restored injured joints for patients of all ages.

What does joint restoration mean?

As the name suggests, joint restoration is a procedure that is focused on restoring injured joints back to their original condition so that they function and support the body the way they are supposed to.

When your joints are injured, usually non-invasive or minimally invasive methods of joint restoration such as medication, physical therapy, modified activities, and rest are recommended by doctors. However, when the injury is very severe and such conservative methods do not work, a surgical approach to joint restoration may be required.

Depending on the severity of the injury and other internal and external factors, joint restoration surgery may involve either joint reconstruction or joint replacement. The knees, shoulders, and hips are often treated using joint restoration surgeries.

Joint reconstruction
surgery

When your joint injury is fairly minor and only parts of the joint need to be restored, as opposed to completely replacing the joint, then a joint reconstruction surgery may be required. Under joint reconstruction surgery, there are various surgical procedures among which the most common are osteotomy, tendon repair, and resurfacing surgery.

▸ Osteotomy
Osteotomy is a surgery that is performed for correcting a knee bone that has been damaged because of early-stage osteoarthritis. The procedure involves cutting the knee bone to shorten it or change its alignment. This results in the shifting of the weight away from the damaged part of the joint. This leads to pain relieved and improved function of the arthritic knee.

▸ Tendon repair
When your tendons are damaged, a tendon repair surgery may be performed by using suture anchors to sew your tendons to your kneecap. This results in the functional restoration of your joint and the surrounding tissues.

▸ Resurfacing surgery
Hip resurfacing surgery is performed by replacing the damaged hip ball with a metal prosthesis. However, the hip ball is not completely replaced. The great thing about hip resurfacing surgery is that there is a low chance of dislocation. Usually, this type of surgery is recommended for younger patients.

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Joint replacement surgery

Joint replacement surgery is a surgical procedure where your damaged or injured joint is replaced with an artificial one, usually made of metal or plastic, or a combination of both. Your surgeon may cement the prosthesis to keep it in place. Sometimes, this may not be necessary, and in some cases, both cemented and non-cemented approaches may need to be used.

A minimally invasive joint replacement surgery can also be performed by adopting less-invasive surgical techniques. Dr. Strudwick may recommend this approach when the injury is such that there is a high chance of disrupting the surrounding tissues and joint muscles if a normal joint replacement surgery approach is adopted. This type of surgery involves minimal pain, less muscle dissection, and a quicker recovery process.

When do I need surgery for joint restoration?

Surgery for joint restoration is often considered as a last resort, when medication, rest, physical therapy and exercise do not work, or in case of emergencies. When these conservative approaches fail to relieve the pain caused by your damaged joint and heal it, your doctor may recommend surgery for joint restoration.

Who can get treated using joint restoration?

If you are experiencing extreme pain due to joint inflammation caused by diseases such as arthritis, or because of injuries and trauma resulting from external causes such as accidents and injuries from sports, you need to see your doctor as soon as possible to receive the appropriate treatment. The sooner you receive treatment for your joint injury, the better your chances are of a quick and complete recovery.

At Bay Area Orthopaedic and Sports Specialists, we understand how painful and debilitating joint injuries and damages can be. Dr. Warren Strudwick always strives to deliver quality care to all of his patients so that they can heal and get back to their normal activities as soon as possible.

For more information or to book an appointment, get in touch with us today.

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