Joint Replacement

Hip Replacement   •   Knee Replacement   •  Total and Reverse Shoulder Replacement  •  Elbow Replacement

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, affecting some 21 million Americans alone. The bones that make up your joint surfaces are covered with a protective layer of cartilage that absorbs shocks to the body and allows the bones to glide smoothly during motion. Arthritis causes the cartilage to gradually wear away, resulting in painful bone-on-bone rubbing.
 

All of your joints may be affected by osteoarthritis, although the weight-bearing joints, such as the hip and knee, tend to be the most painful. Arthritis typically develops as people grow older. 

Injury and normal wear and tear can also cause cartilage to disintegrate and bones to grind against each other. This is typically the case in joints such as the shoulder and elbow. When non-surgical treatments no longer help to relieve your pain, you may need joint replacement and reconstruction surgery.

The main objective of joint reconstruction is to replace the injured or worn joint surfaces with materials such as metal, plastic, polyethylene, ceramics, or a combination of those materials. The material selected depends on the reason for the surgery, as well as which joint is being replaced.

The orthopaedic surgeons at St. Peters Bone & Joint are experts at joint reconstruction and utilize the latest surgical techniques in hip, knee, shoulder and elbow replacement. There are a greater variety of artificial joints available now than ever and our experts will help decide which option is the best for your individual needs.

Drs. Thomas Albus and John McAllister specialize in treating these conditions.

Hip Replacement

Your hip is a ball-and-socket joint, which allows bending and straightening of your body and movement of your lower limbs. The hip is one of the most commonly replaced joints, and osteoarthritis is the main reason for hip replacement surgery. Yet there are other conditions, such as a traumatic fall, that may require the need for a hip replacement.

Hip replacement surgery, also called hip arthroplasty, involves removing the damaged portion of the hip and replacing it with an artificial joint that allows for pain-free movement.

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Knee Replacement

The knee is the largest hinge-type joint in the body. Knee problems are common and can occur from injury, wear and tear, or disease, such as arthritis. For many, knee replacement is the only way to relieve pain, restore function and improve quality of life.

Knee replacement surgery, also called knee arthroplasty, involves removing the damaged portion of the knee and replacing it with an artificial joint that restores joint function. For many people, knee replacement is highly successful for relieving pain.

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Total and Reverse Shoulder Replacement

Like the hip, your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint, and it has the greatest range of motion of all the joints in your body. Injury, arthritis and overuse can cause the cartilage in the shoulder joint to degenerate, leading to pain, weakness and decreased range of motion. 

For some patients, this can only be cured with total shoulder replacement surgery, or shoulder arthroplasty, in which the damaged portion of the shoulder is replaced with an artificial joint. Because the shoulder is not a weight-bearing joint, shoulder replacement surgery is much less common than hip and knee replacements, yet can be equally effective at relieving joint pain.

A newer type of shoulder replacement, called reverse shoulder replacement, is an advanced newer surgical treatment that was approved by the FDA in 2004. A reverse shoulder replacement is recommended for people with a completely torn rotator cuff that cannot be repaired, severe arthritis with rotator cuff damage, or prior failed shoulder surgery. Traditional total shoulder replacement surgery would still leave these individuals unable to lift their arm. 

With a reverse shoulder replacement surgery, the position of the ball and socket in the joint are switched. Such placement allows the deltoid muscle, instead of the damaged rotator cuff muscles, to raise the arm.

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Elbow Replacement

Like the knee, the elbow is a hinge-type joint. While surgeons have been performing elbow replacement surgery for a number of years now, it is the least common type of arthroplasty.

Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of elbow replacement surgery, in which the damaged portion of the elbow is replaced with an artificial joint. For those who suffer from elbow pain, elbow arthroplasty can be an effective way to restore pain-free movement in the joint.

If knee, hip, shoulder or elbow pain is limiting your activities, call St. Peters Bone & Joint Surgery today at (636) 441-3444 to learn more about joint replacement and joint reconstructive surgery or use our online appointment request form. We have two convenient locations to serve you in St. Peters and Wentzville, Missouri.

Please visit our orthopaedic patient education library to learn more about joint reconstruction and joint replacement.

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