Total hip / knee replacement

Total joint replacement is a procedure whereby a surgeon removes a painful and arthritic hip or knee joint and replaces it with an artificial one--often made of metal and plastic. This surgery is usually considered after all other treatment options have failed to provide adequate pain relief. The procedure should relieve pain and make walking a lot easier.

Ask yourself these questions:

- Can I still do the things I enjoy doing? (e.g. golfing, shopping or playing with my grandchildren)

- Can I sleep at night without waking up multiple times due to pain?

- Do medications and/or physical therapy still alleviate the pain?

- Can I walk one block comfortably without too much pain?

- Can I still do daily activities like getting out of a chair, going up and down stairs, using the toilet and getting in and out of the car without much difficulty?

If you answered "yes" to all or most of these questions, you likely do not need to consider surgery. However, if you answered "NO," you should discuss surgical options with your family doctor or your orthopaedic surgeon.

Other indicators for severe arthritis are large and constant swelling around the joints, marked stiffness and progressive deformities such as "bowing" of the legs.