What is Elbow Replacement Surgery?
There are many ways in which elbows get harmed to bring pain and lesser movement. Injury and rheumatoid arthritis are two of major reasons to harm the elbow. In such scenario, a surgery is often recommended to get the joint replaced to lesser the pain and boost the movement.
In essence, elbow replacement is a procedure to get the elbow replaced with an artificial joint. This surgery is same as those done in hip and knee replacements.
What are the types of Elbow Replacement?
Depending on the conditions of the elbow, there are two types of replacement.
Let’s look at both types:-
• Total Elbow Replacement: - This type is beneficial to deal cases where the damage has been done by rheumatoid arthritis.
• Partial Elbow Replacement: - This type is effective in cases where elbow has been plagued by injury.
Sign and symptoms of Elbow Replacement
There are many conditions that can force doctors to recommend you elbow replacement, like:-
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: - A disease wherein inflammation and thickness engulf the synovial membrane that encircles the joint. • Osteoarthritis: - This issue is caused due to routine wear and tear of the join, and it plagues mostly elderly or middle-aged people. • Post-traumatic Arthritis: - It’s a kind of arthritis that brings severe elbow injury, brings pain and restricts elbow function. • Severe Fractures: - When there is a severe fracture in bones that make the elbow. • Instability: - It happens when the elbow is on the verge of instability and has failed the ability to being fixed.
Treatment of Elbow Replacement
Elbow replacement surgery starts with anesthesia. The surgery means patient get stitches (and a bandage) on the new elbow. More so, the arm must be kept in a splint for stability purposes. Pain medication becomes the need, as the surgery will witness cuts to skin, bone or tendons.
The surgery lasts around 2 hours but patient in kept in hospital for 4 days. It takes around 6 weeks for patient to lift anything than a cup of tea.