Joint care

Ankle replacement surgery can become necessary if your arthritis has escalated to the point where you have persistent joint pain, swelling and difficulty walking. This pain and inflammation occurs after the smooth cartilage on the surface of your bones wears away from wear and tear over long periods of time.

Your ankle, or tibiotalar joint, is where your shinbone (tibia) rests on the top of your foot, the talus bone. An ankle joint replacement removes damaged parts of your tibia and talus, replacing them with plastic or metal prosthetics that mimic your natural joint. We offer several types of ankle replacements and are prepared to offer personalized treatment for your particular condition.

The goal of a hip replacement is to use prosthetics to eliminate persistent hip pain caused by arthritis. If your condition is more acute and not arthritic in nature, you may be a candidate for a partial hip replacement.

Our surgeons are also able to provide more effective hip care through prioritizing minimally invasive surgical techniques. This is true for both anterior (surgery from the front of the hip) and posterior (surgery from the back of the hip) surgeries.

Such methods only require small incisions to achieve what was once only possible through invasive surgery with larger incisions. Additionally, between us and our partners, we also offer revision joint replacements for when your joint replacement has become loose or worn out.

If you are experiencing knee pain that hinders your ability to perform daily activities — such as standing up, walking, using stairs or even just sitting — knee replacement surgery may be right for you. This procedure cuts away damaged bone and cartilage from the bones in your knee and replaces them with prosthetics. Ultimately, the type of prosthetic and surgical technique will be determined by your age, weight, overall health, size of your knee and allergies you may have to prosthetic materials.

Historically, knee replacements bring about less pain and a much higher quality of life. With your full commitment to postoperative exercise and a rehabilitation plan, you have the potential to be back at full function within a few months.

As knee replacement technology continues to evolve, we are always looking for ways to improve the experience. We understand the prevalence of bone cement allergies, so press-fit knee replacements don't use cements or glues to attach the artificial knee to the bone. Instead, they use porous metal implants that allow your bone to grow and permanently bond to the implant without the use of cement.

Whether your condition demands a total or partial shoulder replacement, surgery may become necessary if you are experiencing osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, osteonecrosis or fractures and rotator cuff injuries. The procedure aims to relieve the constant pain of these symptoms, increasing your strength and improving your functionality and range of motion.

Like hip and knee replacements, shoulder replacement surgery uses arthroplasty to remove damaged bone and cartilage from your shoulder, replacing them with metal or plastic prosthetics. We understand how critical your shoulder is to daily movement, and want to help you be able to perform activities with greater ease.

Joint replacement surgery is never one-size-fits-all, even when it comes to implant type. Although metal implants are usually the norm, it is possible for you to have an allergy to either the metal implant or the implant fixation product (sometimes called "bone cement"). In some rare cases, there could be an allergy to both.

Our OrthoONE at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center location offers alternative joint replacement methods in case you have an allergy to traditional joint replacement products, such as nickel. Ensuring you quickly and safely return to maximum function is our priority, so we will accomplish this in whichever way benefits you the most. To know for certain if you have an allergy to conventional replacement joints, we can refer you to another facility for formal allergy testing prior to surgery.

In addition to our Uptown Denver location above, we offer joint care services at our OrthoONE at Rose Medical Center and OrthoONE at Swedish Medical Center locations.

Joint replacement surgery is usually a last resort. Before making those considerations, we will always first review and implement nonsurgical treatments whenever possible.

We may need to consider surgical options if your pain has gotten unmanageable and you have experienced any of the following:

• Difficulty sitting or lying down
• Ineffective medication
• Ineffective physical therapy
• Medication side effects
• Persistent joint pain that limits everyday activities