Arthroplasty · Joint Reconstruction
Joint Replacement
When arthritis has worn away the cartilage that cushions a joint, the bone surfaces eventually begin to rub against one another. Joint replacement — arthroplasty — replaces those worn surfaces with new ones, with the goal of relieving pain and restoring usable motion.
(623) 264-3300What Arthritis Does to a Joint
Cartilage Wears Down
The smooth lining that lets joint surfaces glide loses thickness and eventually disappears.
Bone Meets Bone
Without that cushion, the surfaces rub directly against each other, which is the source of most arthritic pain.
The Joint Stiffens
Pain, bone spurs and capsular tightening progressively restrict how far the joint can move.
Replacement Restores a Surface
New joint surfaces remove the bone-on-bone contact and allow motion to be rebuilt.
The Decision
Who Is a Candidate?
Joint replacement is elective surgery, which means the timing is a decision rather than an emergency. The question is not simply whether the joint is arthritic — plenty of arthritic joints do not need replacing. The question is whether the joint is limiting your life in a way that no other treatment is fixing.
Dr. Amin works with patients to understand their symptoms, lifestyle and goals before developing an individualized treatment strategy. Whenever appropriate, conservative and non-surgical options are explored before surgery is considered.
The Function Question
A useful way to think about timing: rather than asking how much it hurts on a scale of ten, ask what you have stopped doing. When the list of abandoned activities keeps growing, that is usually the signal worth acting on.
Pain That Persists Despite Treatment
The conversation typically begins after therapy, medication, activity modification and injections have been given a fair trial without lasting relief.
Pain That Interferes With Sleep
Night pain that regularly wakes you is a common threshold. It signals that the joint is not tolerating its current load.
Loss of Function, Not Just Pain
Difficulty reaching overhead, lifting, dressing or gripping matters as much as the pain score. Function is what the procedure is meant to restore.
Arthritis Visible on Imaging
Imaging needs to show joint changes that explain the symptoms. Pain with a normal-appearing joint points toward a different diagnosis.
Reasonable General Health
Joint replacement is elective surgery. Medical optimization before the operation matters, and your other physicians may be involved in that planning.
Shoulder Replacement
Three Types, Three Different Problems
Not every shoulder replacement is the same operation. The design chosen depends on the condition of the rotator cuff — the group of muscles and tendons that lifts and rotates the arm.
Total Shoulder Replacement
Both the ball and the socket are replaced. This is the traditional approach and it depends on having a functioning rotator cuff to power the new joint.
Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement
The ball and socket are switched so that the deltoid muscle takes over the job of lifting the arm. Used when the rotator cuff is torn or no longer functional.
Hemiarthroplasty
Only the ball side is replaced, leaving the native socket in place. Sometimes selected after a fracture, particularly when the socket is not arthritic.
The choice among these designs is made based on your examination, your imaging and what is found at the time of surgery.
Procedures
Joint Replacement Procedures
Shoulder Arthroplasty for Arthritis
Replacing the worn joint surfaces of the shoulder when arthritis pain and stiffness no longer respond to non-operative treatment. The type of replacement depends on the condition of the rotator cuff.
Learn about the conditionShoulder Arthroplasty for Fracture
Replacing the shoulder joint after certain proximal humerus fractures, particularly when the fracture pattern makes reliable healing unlikely.
Learn about the conditionFinger Joint Arthroplasty
Resurfacing or replacing a worn joint in the fingers when arthritis pain and deformity interfere with grip and daily use.
Learn about the conditionJoint Reconstruction
Rebuilding a damaged joint using the patient's own tissue or a graft when replacement is not the right answer for that joint.
Recovery
A New Joint Still Needs Rehabilitating
Replacement removes the source of arthritic pain, but it does not automatically restore motion and strength. Those come back through a structured therapy program that begins shortly after surgery and progresses over months.
The soft tissues around the joint — muscles, tendons and the capsule — have often tightened over years of disuse. Releasing and retraining them is where much of the functional improvement actually comes from.
Risks & Benefits
Outcomes after surgery vary, and risks and benefits should be discussed in detail with your treating physician. Non-operative treatment also carries risks and benefits which should be discussed with your treating physician.
What Recovery Looks Like
Protection
A sling or splint allows the soft tissue repair to settle before motion begins in earnest.
Passive Motion
The joint is moved with assistance to prevent stiffness while the tissues are still protected.
Active Motion & Strength
You begin moving and loading the joint yourself, progressively rebuilding the muscles around it.
Return to Activity
Daily function usually returns before more demanding activity. Limits and timelines are specific to your procedure.
Common Questions
Joint Replacement FAQs
Is joint replacement a last resort?+
It is typically considered after non-operative treatment has been tried and has not provided lasting relief. That said, delaying indefinitely is not always beneficial either. Waiting until a joint is severely stiff and the surrounding muscles have weakened can make the recovery harder. The right moment is a shared decision between you and your surgeon.
How long does a joint replacement last?+
Modern shoulder and finger implants have good long-term track records, but no replacement lasts forever. Durability depends on the implant, your activity level, your age at the time of surgery and other individual factors. Your surgeon will discuss realistic expectations for your situation.
What is the difference between total and reverse shoulder replacement?+
In a standard total shoulder replacement, the natural ball-and-socket anatomy is recreated, and the rotator cuff does the work of lifting the arm. In a reverse replacement, the ball and socket are switched, which lets the deltoid muscle take over that job. Reverse replacement is chosen when the rotator cuff is torn or no longer functional, since the standard design would not work without it.
Will I be able to use my shoulder after replacement?+
Most patients regain useful motion and significantly reduced pain, though there are usually some limits — particularly heavy lifting and repetitive overhead activity. For most people, the trade is clearly favorable: the activities of daily life become comfortable again, even if a few high-demand activities need to be modified.
How long is recovery after joint replacement?+
It varies by joint. Shoulder replacement typically involves a period in a sling followed by a structured therapy program over several months. Recovery after finger joint arthroplasty is usually shorter in duration but also involves a graded return to motion and use. Your surgeon will give you a specific plan.
What are the risks of joint replacement?+
Risks include infection, bleeding, blood clots, nerve injury, stiffness, instability, implant wear or loosening over time, and the possibility that the result does not fully meet expectations. Outcomes after surgery vary, and risks and benefits should be discussed in detail with your treating physician.
Arthritis That Is Limiting Your Life?
If a joint has stopped responding to non-operative treatment, an evaluation can establish how much damage is present and what your realistic options are — including whether replacement is the right answer yet.