Is arthritis slowing you down?

Relieve chronic pain and get back to your active life with joint replacement

Do you suffer from chronic joint pain?

Have you tried:

• Prescription pain relievers
• Over-the-counter NSAID s
• Physical therapy
• Injections

... but still your pain persists?

If chronic joint pain is keeping you from doing the things you love to do, joint replacement could let you get back to pain-free, active living.

What is joint replacement?

Joint replacement is surgery to replace painful, arthritic, worn or cancerous parts of the joint with artificial surfaces designed to allow joint movement.

Which joints can be surgically replaced?

• Neck discs
• Shoulder
• Elbow
• Wrist
• Finger
• Hip
• Knee
• Ankle

Many orthopedic practices offer hip and knee replacement, but few practices have a team of advanced-trained surgeons trained in state-of-the-art procedures such as shoulder, elbow, wrist, and even finger joint replacement.

Dr. William Stanfield answers questions
about joint replacement

Who is a good candidate for total joint replacement?

“Total joint replacement is an option to consider only if you have not had success with more-conservative pain relief treatments such as pain medication, injections, physical therapy and even arthroscopic surgery. If chronic joint pain is still interfering with your quality of life, it may be time for a total joint replacement.”

How effective is joint replacement in relieving chronic pain?

“Joint replacement surgery is 90% effective in relieving your joint pain. It's one of the most successful types of operations we do, and has very predicable results.”

Why choose an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in joint replacement?

“It has been shown that surgeons who do more than 50 joint replacements a year have better results. At the Center for Orthopedics, our surgeons are trained in the latest surgical techniques and we do a lot of joint replacements. For example, I perform more than 200 joint replacement procedures a year.”

Do all orthopedic surgeons do joint replacements the same way?

“No. At the Center for Orthopedics, we're experienced in cutting-edge procedures such as reverse total shoulder replacement and OtisKnee custom-fit knee replacement.

“And we can perform minimally invasive hip and knee replacements through much smaller incisions than most orthopedic surgeons. For example, we do total hip replacements through a four-inch incision—not many orthopedic surgeons can do that.”

What are the advantages of minimally invasive surgery?

“Of course, you'll have a smaller incision and a shorter scar. But the real advantage is that minimally invasive techniques cause less trauma to the tissues and everything underneath—which speeds your healing.”

Can you replace just part of a joint?

“Yes. In addition to total joint replacement, the Center for Orthopedics offers leading-edge procedures for partial joint replacement, including hip resurfacing and MAKOplasty® partial knee replacement.”

How long will a replacement joint last?

“The average lifespan of a replacement joint is 12 to 15 years, even with the newer technologies such as ceramics, metal-on-metal joints and new bio-materials.

“In the case of hip or knee replacement, for example, there are multiple factors that affect how long your replacement joint will last, such as your weight and your activity level."