Total Joint Replacement Surgeries Are on the Rise

The advances made in modern medicine are so amazing. Case in point, the way we can replace parts of our body that is broken or is beginning to break down on us. For instance, lets look at the human joint.

Joints are what align our muscles to our bones. Over time, joints take a beating. They also are often worn down because of such diseases as arthritis. Doctors began developing replacement joints over almost three quarter of a century ago. The success rate with these Total joint replacement surgeries (TJR) have gone up about 90 percent in the last 10 years. TJR surgeries have also become more common.

More than 725,000 TJR's (also called antroplasty surgeries) were performed in the United States in the 2004. This is according to a survey done by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. These surgeries can be broken down further to 478,000 were knee surgeries, 234,000 hip surgeries and 13,000 were shoulder surgeries.

There are two factors that have made TJR's surgeries more common. One is that we now have more aging people. The baby boomers are determined to maintain their level activity. The second is that more people realize the technical success that these surgeries have on patient's lives.

Most TJR's surgeries are done with a replacement joint that is made of a metal alloy and is also combined with a polyethylene surface. There is no living tissue in the artificial joint. This means that the patient does not have to worry about rejecting the joint as they do when one is transplanting an organ or other substance with living tissue it.

Two French brothers, by the last name of Judet, are credited with perfecting the first hip replacement surgery over sixty years ago. They used an acrylic ball and a post. First they took out the arthritic hip and put in the new appliance. Of course, it did not work for very long because it began to loosen.

Thirty to thirty five years ago, doctors began using metal in the replacement of joints. Unfortunately, this procedure did not work because the metal was working against metal. Over time, these metals began releasing particles into the body. The body than began rejecting the replacement joint because its autoimmune system began reacting to it.

The surgeries of today are going so much better because the alloys are so much better. The alloys have not caused any autoimmune problems to begin.

Some doctors will choose to use ceramic replacement joints for the hip. Yet, these joints are not as easy to get as the metal alloy based ones are. Some doctors also believe that the ceramic replacement joints do not wear as long. There is no ceramic replacement joint available for shoulders.

Most people who have total joint replacement surgery are at least 60 years of age. Since on average most people live longer, this means most people who has total joint replacement surgery will have to have it again. Actually, they may even have to have it up to two more times, depending on how long they live and their activity level.

Some people even in their forties are getting total joint replacement surgery due to the fact that they are all ready suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. These people know they will probably be facing at least one more surgery in the future.

Yet, with each year, modern medicine is making more and more advances. Some day soon, doctors may be able to make a replacement joint that will last for decades.

For now, if you are thinking about getting joint replacement surgery, the first thing you should consider is your surgeon. Make sure to ask for referrals. You may even want to talk to several surgeons. Ask them about how many times they performed the type of surgery you need and what their success rate is.

When you decide on your surgeon, next plan on getting some rest after your surgery. Give your body time to heal. We all are in a hurry for life to happen. But after surgery we all should slow down and give our bodies time to readjust.