Get Hip
 Earlier
generations weren't as likely to need new hips or knees. They
weighed less, placing less stress on their joints; lived a shorter span;
and didn't indulge in injury-prone sports such as skateboarding and
rollerblading, which hadn't been invented. Fortunately, joint replacement
has kept up with our more-thrills, more-spills lives.
"Orthopedic surgery has made a quantum leap in just the last
decade," says Gary Ferguson, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Newport
Hospital. "Ten years ago, patients were admitted two days before
surgery and were immobilized for two days after surgery. Today, patients
are on their feet the day after surgery. Some stand, some are able to take
small steps. They go home in just four to five days."
Thanks to recent advances in joint
replacement surgery, hip and knee implants fit
better and feel better than they did ten years ago. High-tech surgical
instruments allow the surgeon to make a more accurate cut on the bone and
provide new ways to hold the implant and place it on the bone for a
precise fit. The more precisely the implant fits, the less likely the
patient is to be aware of his joint.
Innovations made in implants enable them to stay fixed to the bone and
distribute weight evenly. The result is less wear and tear on one portion
of the implanted joint, and that extends the life of the replacement
parts.
Be sensible and your new joints
will be with you for years to come.
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