Revision Joint Replacement
Joint replacements are one of the most successful procedures in all of medicine, be it hip or knee. In the vast majority of cases, it enables people to live richer, more active lives free of pain. Over time, however, a joint replacement may fail for a variety of reasons. When this occurs, your joint can become painful and swollen. It may also feel stiff or unstable, making it difficult to perform your everyday activities.
If your joint replacement fails, your doctor may recommend that you have a second surgery — revision joint replacement surgery. Although both procedures have the same goal — to relieve pain and improve function — revision surgery is different than primary surgery
How to tell if my Joint Replacement surgery is failing?
If your joint is failing, you will experience specific symptoms:
Diminished stability or reduced function in the knee Increased pain or an infection (which usually occurs soon after the initial procedure)
A bone fracture or outright device failure
In other cases, bits and pieces of the prosthetic device may break off and cause tiny particles to accumulate around the joint which can be picked up on Xray and MRI.
What Is Knee Replacement Revision Surgery?
In this procedure, we remove some or all of the parts of the original prosthesis and replace them with new ones. This may be accompanied by bone loss due to wear and tear.
Revision surgery isn’t something to take lightly. It’s more complicated than a primary (or initial) Total knee replacement (TKR) or Primary Unicondylar knee replacement (UKR) or Primary Total hip replacement (THR).
Why revision surgery is more complicated than initial surgery
It’s important to note that a revision joint replacement doesn’t provide the same
lifespan as the initial replacement (usually about 10 years rather than 20). The
accumulated trauma, scar tissue, and mechanical breakdown of components
lead to diminished performance. Revisions are also more susceptible to
complications.
A revision procedure is typically more complex than the original joint
replacement surgery because the surgeon must remove the original implant,
which would have grown into the existing bone.
In addition, once the surgeon removes the prosthesis, there is less bone
remaining. In some instances, a bone graft — transplanting a piece of bone
transplanted from another part of the body or from a donor — might be required
to support the new prosthesis. A bone graft adds support and encourages new
bone growth.
However, the procedure requires additional preoperative planning, specialized
tools, and greater surgical skill. The surgery takes longer to perform than a
primary joint replacement.