Bone & Joint Injuries

Recently Answered

• QWhat can speed up my recovery after joint replacement surgery?

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  A TriStar Centennial Medical Center answered

  Your body takes time to heal.  Joint replacement surgery is a major operation, and it places a significant stress on the body. These steps can make the recovery process easier to tolerate:

  • Stay on top of pain control.
  • Use ice to control swelling.
  • Do not do too much too early.

  Early on after surgery, it is usually best to schedule your medications around your therapy visits to treat the pain before it happens. Swelling is normal, particularly after activities and therapy, but can lead to more discomfort. Aggressive icing of the joint will help to keep the swelling and inflammation down, making the recovery more comfortable. The more active you try to be, the more stress you are putting on the recently replaced joint. This also leads to more swelling, inflammation and pain. It is recommended to follow the rehabilitation protocols provided by your surgeon and under the guidance of your therapist to ensure that your recovery progresses at an appropriate rate.  Remember, every patient is unique and recovers at their own rate.

• QWhat is direct anterior muscle-sparing total hip replacement?

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  A Fawcett Memorial Hospital answered

  Direct anterior muscle-sparing total hip replacement allows the surgeon to reach the hip joint from the front of the hip as opposed to the lateral (side) or the posterior (back). This way, the hip can be replaced without detaching the muscle from the pelvis or femur during surgery. The most important muscles for hip function, the gluteal muscles that attach to the pelvis and femur, are left undisturbed and therefore do not require a healing process. Direct anterior muscle-sparing total hip replacement offers a more beneficial alternative to traditional hip replacement surgery.

• QCan I be active after joint replacement surgery?

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  A St Francis Medical Center answered

  There is no reason why you can't be active after joint replacement surgery. There are certain exercises that you might be advised to refrain from if you've had a hip or a knee replacement. These include jogging or training for a marathon, which could end up wearing out your prosthesis quicker. Contact sports such as football or soccer are not advised if you have had either a hip or knee replaced. Playing with your children or grandchildren, golfing, skiing, and participating in low-impact and noncontact sports are encouraged.

  Trinity Health is a Catholic health care organization that acts in accordance with the Catholic tradition and does not condone or support all practices covered in this site. In case of emergency call 911. This site is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider.

• QIs it easier to replace a knee or a hip?

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  A St Francis Medical Center answered

  Some surgeons prefer doing hip replacements, whereas some prefer the mechanics of a knee replacement. From a patient's persepective, hip replacements are much easier to recover from as there is less pain, dysfunction and work.

  Knee replacements are different. It takes a great deal of work on the part of the patient and, quite often, physical therapy to get range of motion back.

  Trinity Health is a Catholic health care organization that acts in accordance with the Catholic tradition and does not condone or support all practices covered in this site. In case of emergency call 911. This site is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider.

• QWhat should I consider if I am young and need joint replacement surgery?

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  A St Francis Medical Center answered

  As far as joint replacement, anybody younger than 60 is considered young. In their lifetime, they could loosen or wear out a hip or knee replacement and need a more complicated surgery thereafter. That having been said, we're expecting the materials that we have nowadays to last much longer, but we don't know how long they will last because we've not had them that long. I've done hip and knee replacements on young folks, folks in their 30s, with severe degenerative disease or deformity after trauma, and we do it for quality of life reasons. But again, I counsel these people and tell them, "You could wear it out or loosen it in your lifetime."

  Trinity Health is a Catholic health care organization that acts in accordance with the Catholic tradition and does not condone or support all practices covered in this site. In case of emergency call 911. This site is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider.

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• QHow can I prevent joint replacement surgery?

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  A St Francis Medical Center answered

  If you have an arthritic knee, you should modify your activities accordingly by avoiding high-impact exercise and training. It is really important to exercise on a regular basis, provided that it's not too painful. In general this will help the arthritic joint to feel and function better and to last longer.

  Trinity Health is a Catholic health care organization that acts in accordance with the Catholic tradition and does not condone or support all practices covered in this site. In case of emergency call 911. This site is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider.

• QWhat are the different types of orthopedic specialists?

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  A Memorial Hospital of Tampa answered

  Orthopedic specialists include joint surgeons, trauma surgeons, and sports medicine specialists.

• QWhat are the most common orthopedic injuries from car accidents?

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  A Regional Medical Center answered

  Fractures of the femur and pelvis are the most common orthopedic injuries from car accidents.