Knee and hip replacements are two types of joint replacement surgeries. When only one knee or hip needs surgery, it is called a unilateral knee or hip replacement surgery. And, when both joints need it, the procedure is called bilateral.
Unilateral means the involvement of only one joint while bilateral corresponds to two joints. Continue to read the article to learn more about knee and hip replacement surgeries.
Knee Anatomy
The knee is a hinge joint and has the following parts:
- Bone Ends
- Articular Cartilage
- Meniscal Cushions
- Ligaments
- Tendons
- Bursae
- Synovium
Hip Anatomy
The hip is a ball and socket joint. The ball or the femur head moves under the socket or the acetabulum and allows for a higher range of motion than the knee.
The following are hip parts.
- Acetabulum or socket
- Femoral head or ball
- Articular Cartilage
- Labrum
- Ligaments
- Tendons
- Bursae
- Synovium
The knee and hip have parts almost identical to each other. They both are synovial joints. Synovium is the joint lining that secretes synovial fluid or joint lubricant. This lubricant helps in smooth movements.
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What Is Knee & Hip Replacement Surgeries?
Whether for the knee or hip, under joint replacement surgery, a surgeon removes the damaged parts from the joint and then resurfaces those parts with artificial components.
Implants used in joint replacements are made of metal and plastic.
Why Do People Need This Surgery?
People need joint replacements when a joint is damaged completely on the inside. The damaged joint becomes chronically painful and immobile. More than one cause can damage a joint.
This also applies to the question of why people need knee or hip replacement surgery. The following conditions lead to knee or hip joint damage. As a result, the affected person has to undergo knee or hip replacement surgery to restore function and lead a pain-free life.
Injury: Intense accidents often lead to fractures. Sometimes, the injury can be so intense that it can damage the knee or hip and lead to dysfunction.
Arthritis: There are various types of arthritis that if not treated on time, gradually damage the joint internally. Some common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, etc.
Osteoarthritis is when the cartilage over bone ends deteriorates and leads to the formation of bone spurs. This condition results in joint stiffness, chronic pain, and inability to use full range of motion.
Furthermore, Rheumatoid Arthritis makes the joints swollen and warm, leading to pain and immobility. This condition affects more than one joint at a time throughout the body, including the knee, the hip, etc.
Deformities: Some people have perfect joints while others do not. Poor formation of the joint bones leads to several types of knee and hip deformities. Hip deformities can be caused by the abnormal shapes of the ball and socket.
Osteonecrosis: Osteo means bone tissue and necrosis means death of tissue due to blood shortage. Osteonecrosis is a condition of death of bone tissue due to loss of blood supply. This condition often affects the ball part of the hip. The femoral head collapses and it makes the hip painful and disable.
Complications
If you need knee or hip replacement surgery, don’t delay it. Not ensuring the surgery on time will lead to further joint damage. And, the situation will become worse. It will also affect the results of the surgery afterwards.
Diagnosis
The following imaging tests are used to examine joints. Doctors use them to determine the extent of damage and the course of treatment before recommending knee or hip replacements to patients.
- X-Ray
- MRI
- CT Scan
X-rays are most effective at creating detailed images of bones. However, there are limitations. These rays cannot image soft tissues. So, for that purpose, MRI and CT scanning are used.
An MRI test cannot be recommended for a patient who has a metal implant inside the body. Magnetic Resonance Imaging implies the use of magnetic energy to produce images. Thus, this technology can potentially interfere with the metal components of an implant, causing health issues.
Where an MRI is hence not suitable for someone, CT scanning is used to produce images of joint bones and soft tissues.
Are Joint Replacements Successful?
Knee/hip replacements are highly successful today due to advanced technologies.
There are robotic knee or hip replacement surgeries. There are AR-assisted knee or hip replacement surgeries. These are the latest technologies that are used to perform surgeries in the most personalised and accurate way possible.
Thus, yes; all types of joint replacements are successful, including those recommended for the knee and the hip.
Do Joint Replacements Have Any Disadvantages?
No. There are no disadvantages or limitations. Joint replacement surgeries only offer independence, happiness and freedom to live life pain-free.
A joint replacement surgery is only suggested by a surgeon when the joint has been damaged entirely and thus, it cannot be treated without surgery.
So, people who are already living lives with disabilities and challenges due to chronic knee or hip pain need knee or hip replacement surgery. Such people cannot even walk a few steps comfortably. It is because the pain is so intense and bad.
Are Joint Replacements Safe for Old People?
Knee or hip pain can occur at any age. However, it is most common as you get older. Old people face joint disability more often than the young population.
Thus, joint replacements are actually meant to help senior citizens overcome physical disability due to chronic knee or hip pain. These surgeries allow them to live pain-free and comfortable lives even in old age.
Thus, yes is the answer to the question. Joint replacement surgery is safe for old people.
Conclusion
Joint replacement surgeries are of two types, unilateral and bilateral. Thus, knee or hip replacement surgeries can also be categorised as unilateral and bilateral.
When a person only needs joint replacement surgery for one joint, for example, only one knee or hip, the procedure is called unilateral or unilateral joint replacement surgery. And, when both joints like both knees or hips need replacement surgeries, the surgical intervention is called bilateral.
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