If you have tried medication, injection, and physical therapies to treat your osteoarthritis in hips or knees experienced no improvement in your pain, you may need joint replacement surgery. Joint replacement surgery tends to be a successful process that can enable people to restore an active lifestyle by combating chronic pain.
While artificial joints or implants have a design to last long, they don’t last forever. It is best to discuss all your concerns with an expert orthopedic specialist such as Dr. Derek Hill before you undergo knee replacement surgery. The qualified surgeon will choose and perform the best treatment and also guide you on how long you should realistically expect a knee implant to last.
Failure can happen Long or Short –Term
It is worth mentioning that knee replacement may fail earlier than you expect or it may last over a long period.
Typically, early failure is not common in most cases. If it happens, it can be because of different reasons. One of the common reasons that lead to knee implant failure is an infection in the knee joints after surgery.
The patients need to learn the factors that can cause implant failure before the procedure. It can help lower the risk beforehand. Some common risk factors that can damage or deteriorate the knee implants may include
Poor nutrition
Uncontrolled diabetes
Increased body weight.
These factors can increase the risk of infection in the implants.
Keep in mind that if your surgery goes fantastic from a technical angle but you don’t manage the risk factors, you may develop medical complications. These complications may jeopardize the results of the procedure.
On the other hand, some patients may suffer from long-term failure due to a loosened bond between the implants and the bone. Sometimes a component of the knee implant catches infection or wears down due to stress on the bone.
Regardless of the reason for the knee implant failure, you need to undergo revision surgery to replace the implant. Depending on the damage of your knee implant, revision surgery can be a complex and long procedure. You need an expert orthopedic surgeon with brilliant technical skills to perform the surgery. The process is critical and uses specialized implants and tools.
How to Improve Lifespan of Your Artificial Implant
If you want your knee implant to last long, you must keep a check on your joint health. Make sure you visit your surgeon to assess the risk factors and reduce them with the help of a personalized plan.
Your surgeon recommends the best positions for long-lasting knee replacement surgery.
Here are some more precautionary measures you should take to keep the implant intact.
Avoid any high impact activities
Keep yourself active
Maintain your weight
Visit your orthopedic specialist
Summing Up
Knee implants require care and measures to last long. If you’re considering joint replacement surgery, get in touch with Dr. Derek Hill to explore more about the option and ways to take care of artificial implants.
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