| It's March and with a long hard winter behind us | | | | replacement surgery the operating surgeon removes |
| millions of Americans are looking forward to Spring | | | | the damaged areas and resurfaces the remaining |
| and getting out on the golf course, working in the | | | | bone and cartilage of the knee joint and inserts an |
| garden, and getting back together with those social | | | | implant or prosthesis. The surrounding muscles and |
| and neighborhood groups that come out of | | | | ligaments integrate the new implant into your body |
| hibernation about this time of year. For as many as | | | | and provide the same support and functionality that |
| 27 million sufferers of osteoarthritis, however, | | | | you had before the debilitating pain slowed you |
| springtime may not be as full of sunshine. | | | | down. |
| Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. | | | | Knee replacement is one of the most successful |
| This is the condition that wears down your joint | | | | surgical procedures with more than 581,000 |
| cartilage making your knees and other joints painful | | | | operations done annually in the United States. New |
| and difficult to move through the normal motions of | | | | knee joint replacement techniques are much less |
| walking, and sometimes even just standing. It is | | | | invasive than they used to be which results in less |
| estimated at 50% of all people over 65 years of age | | | | tissue trauma and faster healing times. Less scar |
| have some form of arthritis, but that means that the | | | | tissue also means decreased recovery time and more |
| other 50% of people afflicted with arthritis are | | | | fluid motion down the road. After replacement knee |
| younger, and for many, in the prime of their lives. | | | | surgery you could be standing on your new knee the |
| Sometimes just losing a little weight can help reduce | | | | next day after surgery and be back on the golf |
| the bad effects of arthritis. For others, treatment | | | | course in as little as six weeks. And feeling much the |
| options such as medication and therapy are the best | | | | better for it. |
| route to go. When these options stop working and | | | | Knee replacement surgery is a big step so you want |
| you have to face every day with pain and | | | | to get all the information that you can. Your goal of |
| discomfort it may be the time to start considering | | | | course is to get the best possible long-term results |
| knee replacement surgery. | | | | so that you can get back to doing those activities |
| If you have severe arthritis, and have not been able | | | | that you enjoy so much and that make life |
| to get any relief from any of the other noninvasive | | | | worthwhile to you. Your age, lifestyle, height and |
| treatments, then you may be a good candidate for | | | | weight are important considerations that your doctor |
| knee surgery or joint replacement. For knee | | | | will factor in and consult with you about. |