. For the last 45 years, the most successful and common form of
arthroplasty is the
surgical replacement of arthritic or destructive or
necrotic joint or joint surface with a
prosthesis. For example, a hip joint that is affected by osteoarthritis may be replaced entirely (
total hip arthroplasty) with a prosthetic hip. This would involve replacing both the
acetabulum (hip socket) and the head and neck of the
femur. The purpose of this procedure is to relieve pain, to restore range of motion and to improve walking ability, thus leading to the improvement of muscle strength.
Other types of arthroplasty •
Interpositional arthroplasty, previously a popular form of arthroplasty, with interposition of some other
tissue like
skin,
muscle or
tendon to keep
inflammatory surfaces apart. •
Excisional or
resection(al) arthroplasty in which joint surface and bone is removed. The remaining ends are attached, or left to give time for
scar tissue to fill in the gap. One variant of is the
Stainsby procedure which consists of excision of part of a
proximal phalanx in a
metatarsophalangeal joint, reduction of the
plantar plate and
kirschner wire fixation of the
metacarpal bone to the remaining phalanx. •
Resurfacing arthroplasty, where one or both bone surfaces are trimmed and replaced with a smooth metal covering. •
Mold arthroplasty, •
Silicone replacement arthroplasty •
Osteotomy to restore or modify joint congruity. ==Complications and improvements==