Before the advent of total joint arthroplasty, patients with significant arthritis of the hip or knee were often forced to endure their pain, with only minimal relief obtained by analgesic medications and other conservative treatments.

Total joint arthroplasty (replacement) of the hip and the knee have been received with much enthusiasm by the orthopaedic community because of their ability to relieve pain and restore function. The ideas and techniques initiated by the pioneers of joint replacement have given orthopaedic surgeons the power to improve patients’ lives irrevocably and have forever changed the surgical treatment of arthritic joints.

Today, total joint replacement of the hip and the knee are among the most successful surgical procedures performed by any specialty, with marked relief of pain and improved joint function in the majority of patients treated. Total joint replacement is a cost-effective procedure that significantly improves a patient’s quality of life and mobility.