Summit Orthopedics is proud that Minnesota Health Care News invited Summit surgeon Dane Hansen to provide its readers with an overview of total joint replacement surgery.
Healthy joints enable us to perform our jobs and enjoy our lives. When joint conditions, injuries, or the aging process make joint function painful, our lifestyle and livelihood may suffer as a result. In the past, joint pain was an unavoidable part of aging, but the May/June issue of Minnesota Health Care News showcases Summit’s Dr. Dane Hansen as he explains how medical advances offer new options to treat joint pain.
In his article, Dr. Hansen reviews the two general categories of joint pain: acute injuries and degenerative chronic conditions. Frequently, the joint pain caused by these conditions can be managed with conservative, nonsurgical treatments that make surgery unnecessary. However, when joint problems don’t resolve under conservative care, two types of surgeries are generally available to treat joint pain: minimally invasive arthroscopic treatments and joint replacement procedures.
For anyone considering joint surgery, Dr. Hansen discusses how each of these surgeries is handled. Arthroscopic treatments, he explains, use small incisions, sophisticated cameras, and special surgical tools to repair and preserve the function of existing ligaments and cartilage. These surgeries can treat several conditions, including impingement issues in hips, ligament tears in knees, and some mild early arthritis damage. Although arthroscopic surgery is sometimes used to repair cartilage tears, serious cartilage damage and advanced arthritis in the joint is tough to repair. This more serious joint damage usually requires a joint replacement surgery.
Dr. Hansen addresses the common perception that total joint surgery is about cutting out the entire joint and replacing it with a large mechanical knee or hip—and explains that the reality is far less dramatic. He suggests thinking of a total joint procedure as a bone resurfacing procedure. The damaged cartilage and bone are removed from the joint itself and replaced with smooth metal and plastic pieces that function as a new joint surface.
To read more about how total joint procedures are performed and the value of joint replacement surgery, you can review Dr. Hansen’s article in the online May/June issue of Minnesota Health Care News (page 12) at: https://issuu.com/mppub/docs/05_mn_healthcare_news_mayjune_2017
Summit Orthopedics supports healthy communities
Community health flourishes when specialized orthopedic care is conveniently available close to home. Summit Orthopedics is proud of our fellowship-trained subspecialty teams offering the full spectrum of orthopedic expertise in bone, tendon, ligament, muscle, and joint conditions—in addition to our wellness, prevention, and rehabilitation services. We have the expertise to proactively improve fitness, evaluate discomfort, and deliver personalized treatment to quickly and safely return you to the lifestyle you love.
Start your journey to a healthier, more active self. Visit our Facebook page to learn about our wellness services and schedule a free wellness consultation online. Find your orthopedic expert, request an appointment online, or call us at (651) 968–5201 to schedule a consultation.
Summit has convenient locations across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin. We have state-of-the-art centers for comprehensive orthopedic care in Eagan, MN, Plymouth, MN, Vadnais Heights, MN, and Woodbury, MN, as well as additional community clinics throughout the metro and southern Minnesota.
