Hello and welcome to the zero to finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be

talking to you about elective joint replacement. And you can find written notes on this topic

at zero to finals.com slash joint replacement or in the orthopedic section of the zero to finals surgery

book. So let's get straight into it. The most common joints replaced electively are the hip,

knee and shoulder. The most common indication is osteoarthritis and most patients that have an elective joint replacement are over the age of 60.

Artificial joints are built to last more than 10 to 15 years, however they may be affected by loosening, wear and dislocation.

Some patients may require further surgery and replacement of the artificial joint at some point.

Joint replacement is major surgery.

Patients need to have the alternatives discussed before deciding to undergo surgery.

Other options for osteoarthritis include analgesia, steroid injections and

physiotherapy. Let's talk about the indications. Osteoarthritis is the most common indication for

elective joint replacement. It's not usually performed until symptoms are severe and not manageable

with conservative treatments.

Joint replacement may also be required for fractures, septic arthritis, osteonecrosis, bone tumours and rheumatoid arthritis.

These indications mean that joint replacement may be required at any age, including young people.

Let's talk about the options. There are several options for elective joint replacement surgery.

Total joint replacement, which means replacing both articular surfaces of the joint,

hemiathoplasti, which involves replacing half of the joint,

for example the head of the femur in the hip joint,

and partial joint resurfacing,

which involves replacing part of the joint surfaces,

for example, only the medial joint surfaces in the knee. Let's talk about total hip replacement. Usually a lateral incision over the outer aspect of the hip is used. The hip joint is

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