Elbow replacement surgeries are very common these days. Adults who are suffering from arthritis suffer from more fractures than others. The bone density at this age decreases that leads to brittle bones and fracture consequently. Earlier, elbow replacement was basically developed for rheumatoid arthritis which is an autoimmune disease. In this, the immune system attacks healthy tissues and cause pain, swelling stiffness and difficulty in moving the joint.
What is Elbow joint replacement?
Elbow replacement is a medical procedure in which a surgeon replaces the elbow with an artificial joint made up of implants. It is then attached to the bones of the arm. Then a metal and a plastic hinge are used to join the implants together.
Why there is a need of elbow replacement?
Elbow replacement id performed on people suffering with acute joint disorders or fractures. There are several reasons that cause the elbow pain and need elbow replacement. People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (auto immune disease), osteoarthritis (occurs in old age), severe fracture and bone dysfunction.
Causes
- Rheumatoid arthritis: In this the synovial membranes becomes thick and inflated. This inflation or swelling causes a lot of pain making day to day life difficult.
- Osteoarthritis: It occurs in old age people, it is also called as a degenerative joint disease. In this the bones start to wear and tear; it becomes brittle and breaks easily even with a minute twist or fall.
- Post traumatic: It is quite a serious type of arthritis that comprises of serious elbow injuries. Fractures of such bones causes severe tear of tendons and ligaments that causes cartilaginous damage.
- Severe fractures: Multiple fractures and shattered elbow comes under this category. It becomes very difficult for the doctors to perform surgery in such cases. A lot of problems hampers the surgery such as in adequate blood supply in the body part, damages nerves etc. Old people suffer from some very bad fractures; from which recovering becomes very difficult.
Risk factors
- Infection
- Injury to nerves to nerves and blood vessels
- Allergic reaction to anesthesia
- Body rejects artificial joint.
- Stiffness of the joint
- Weakness in the tendons
- Excruciating pain
Types of elbow replacement surgery
In some cases, there is a need to replace more than portion of the joint and if the joints need to be replaced then both ends of the bones are removed. The prosthetics used in the surgery are basically of two types:
- Linked: Such type of prosthesis act like a hinge to the replaced parts of the bone that keep the movement normal. It keeps the movement of bones and joints smooth. People with prosthesis should stay cautious at all times as sudden jerks or injuries might lead to further injury.
- Unlinked: In this type of prosthesis two components are not joined together. The devices come in two different pieces; they are designed in such a way that it sets according to the surrounding ligaments. This helps the ligaments to join together. One should be very cautious as major jerks can lead to a danger of dislocation.
Why Eternal Hospital?
At Eternal Hospital, we have a highly qualified and dedicated team of doctors who are always committed to providing the latest and most advanced medical care to all our patients. Being a trusted name in healthcare, we act compassionately while ensuring confidentiality to those who need it. We have set high standards in patient-centric premium care and outstanding patient safety, and exceptional maintenance in a timely manner. In addition, we adhere to the use of up-to-the-minute innovations to offer state-of-the-art treatments to our patients with unparalleled results.
