Elbow Replacement
If you’re suffering from persistent pain or stiffness in your elbow, you are now not alone. For many, everyday obligations like lifting, bending, or maybe resting the arm can turn out to be extraordinarily difficult because of elbow joint damage.
Left untreated, the ache best receives worse. Conditions like arthritis, fractures, or degeneration of the elbow joint can result in regular pain and loss of mobility, restricting your potential to perform everyday activities and impacting your fine of life. In such scenarios, elbow replacement surgery is helpful. Find out how elbow replacement can deliver lasting remedies.
What is Elbow Replacement?
Elbow replacement or elbow arthroplasty is intended to manage painful disorders of the elbow joint that have originated due to arthritis, trauma, or other pathological alterations of the joint. By this operation, the damaged parts of the elbow joint are removed and replaced with implants. Further, this procedure is done to help patients who may have been having severe pain for sometime and to increase the joint movement.
Why is Elbow Replacement Needed?
Those who ever had elbow issues with pain and stiffness, can understand how it is to have troubles lifting things, bending one’s arm or even resting. Some of the conditions that may however require elbow replacement may include:
- Osteoarthritis: Because of the ‘wear and tear’ that the cartilage in the elbow joint is subjected to, one is likely to develop pains and inflammation, and the joint cannot move as it should.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: An auto immune disease which can cause pain, deformity and disability of a joint.
- Elbow Fractures: At other times, the bones involved undergo such severe injuries that the involved structures fail to regain normal tracking; as such, they require replacement to facilitate proper articulation of the joint.
- Post-Traumatic Arthritis: Arthritis which often develops after an elbow joint has undergone through an injury regardless of the extent of the injury.
- Elbow Joint Degeneration: Conditions that compel the elbow joint to be in a state of almost constant usage and therefore leading to wear and tearing of the joint hence the pain and limited mobility.
In situations where pain and restricted movement of the affected elbow does not respond to medications, physical therapy, use of injections for pain and anti-inflammatory drugs then consider elbow replacement.
Types of Elbow Replacement Surgery
There is wide variety of elbow replacement procedures which can be suggested depending on the character of the injury and the condition of the patient.
- Total Elbow Replacement (TEA) Here, both the humeral and the ulnar components of the elbow are replaced by the prosthetics. This is the standard surgical procedure intended for patients who are affected by tertiary osteoarthritis or in other other phrases severe wear and tear of the joint.
- Partial Elbow Replacement(Hemiarthroplasty) In this, only part of the elbow joint is replaced. In most cases, the humeral part of the implant is replaced while the other part of the ulnar part of the implant is retained. This option is taken when only a part of the joint is affected such as in a fractured joint where the joint has split into different parts.
- Revision Elbow Replacement This is a surgery that is done if the earlier elbow replacement has got to be replaced or does not work as required. Revision surgery involves: substitution of the existing components with a new one, adjustment of the existing components with a view of making them functional with a view of easing the pain from the prosthetic part.
Benefits Of Elbow Replacement Operation
- Pain Relief: The advantages of the elbow replacement are for instance; reduction in pain that can even be completely eliminated depending on the level of the elbow replacement.
- Improved Mobility: The operation can deliver extensive, varied and utilitarian restoration of the elbow joint to enhance one’s ability to perform his or her day-to-day activities.
- Enhanced Quality of Life: A joint replacement or even more, precisely, the elbow replacement can improve your quality of life because two main factors, pain and limitation to mobility, keep people from having a normal life.
- Long-Term Durability: Modern prosthetic limbs parts are well constructed and if proper ones are fitted they can be durable and alleviate the patient’s disease and disability.
What to Expect During Surgery
Elbow replacement surgery is an intervention that is performed under general anesthesia and may take a few hours. Then the surgeon makes incisions through the skin and muscles to reach the elbow joint to remove the damaged bones and cartilage and then the artificial joints are implanted.
Recovery and Rehabilitation
In the case of elbow replacement, a patient has to be hospitalized for a few days and the period of physiotherapy may take several weeks or even months. After it has been injured, the elbow may be immobilised using a cast or splint while it heals. It is particularly good for enabling functional rehabilitation or activities of daily living surrounding strength, flexibility, and movements centered around the elbow area.
In most cases, patients achieve a reduction of pain and functional pain in 5-6 months; However, full recovery can take up to 1 year. There are special guidelines regarding length and frequency of physical therapy sessions and other recommendations regarding surgery that must be adhered to for improved results.
Is Elbow Replacement Right for You?
If you have chronic elbow pain or stiffness or if the pain does not respond to other intervention methods, elbow replacement remains a viable option. They can provide you with all the information about your symptoms and over condition and tell you whether the elbow replacement is suitable for you so, please make an appointment.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation with us and learn more about elbow replacement surgery and how you can regain your normal life.