Advances in prosthetic treatment
Written by:Why and when is a hip or knee prosthesis necessary?
When we consider that a hip or knee prosthesis is necessary, it is when we have a destruction of the joint, usually due to osteoarthritis, and this causes pain. Therefore, the pain will be the situation that we will find to indicate what would be an arthroplasty or a hip or knee prosthesis.
How has the treatment evolved over the years?
The evolution of the prosthesis or of the hip and knee arthroplasty as a whole has evolved in four lines. On the one hand, with new designs and new materials, looking for greater durability of these implants, that is, the materials. On the other hand in an improvement of the surgical technique. And on the other hand, by the protocols of rehabilitation of this hip or this knee looking for a greater rapid recovery, a greater functionality of the articulation.
What new materials are the prostheses made of and what advantages do they offer the patient?
The evolution and improvement of the materials are directed in some way to a better fixation to the bone of these implants, looking for new titaniums that are more porous or the porosity of a new material that is the Tantalio. On the other hand, there are new developments in cements and surgical techniques that allow a better anchorage of these metal surfaces to what would be the bone through the cementation technique. And on the other hand, what would be the surface of friction or articulation that are sought for new polyethylenes that produce less wear, or new ceramics that also produce a greater longevity of the same.
What is Resurfacing?
The prosthesis we call surface replacement or joint surface, are those that in some way allow only replace the damaged part of the joint, both in hip and now new designs on knee. With this we intend in some way to preserve and preserve as much as possible the bone that is going to sustain the prosthesis or the joint surface looking in some way that in the future we have enough bone stock to implant or to replace this implant that has gone wearing out through time.
