Joint Replacement

Joint Replacement Procedures at Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute

Our highly skilled orthopedic surgeons and their care teams have extensive expertise in the latest joint replacement techniques. We offer total and partial joint replacement for hips, knees and shoulders:

Hip replacement:

• Total hip replacement removes damaged cartilage and bone from the hip joint and replaces them with artificial components. Surgeons remove and replace the head (or “ball”) of the thighbone and the surface the hip socket (or “cup”). Our surgeons often use minimally-invasive techniques allowing for less damage to nearby muscles and tendons.
• Partial hip replacement removes and replaces either the ball or the socket of the hip joint and replaces them with artificial components.

Knee replacement:

• Total knee replacement removes damaged cartilage and bone at the ends of the thighbone and shinbone, the bones that form the knee joint. Then the surgeon places implants at the ends of those bones. The surgeon may or may not resurface the underside of the kneecap (patella). Our surgeons may be able to use a shorter incision to access the knee joint, resulting in less trauma to the muscles and tendons. Some surgeons use computer guided robotic-assisted techniques that may improve accuracy and precision.
• Partial knee replacement removes and replaces damaged cartilage in only one area of the knee joint. Some surgeons use computer guided robotic-assisted techniques that may improve accuracy and precision.

Shoulder replacement:

• Total shoulder replacement removes and replaces the ball and socket parts of the shoulder joint.
• Reverse total shoulder replacement reverses the positions of the ball and socket parts in the shoulder joint. Surgeons attach the artificial socket to the arm bone (the humerus) and the artificial ball to the shoulder blade (the scapula). This is indicated for patients with severe, irreparable damage to their rotator cuff tendons.
• Partial shoulder replacement involves replacing only the ball portion of the shoulder joint. Surgeons either replace the entire ball portion or occasionally repair its surface, depending on the extent of the damage.

Robotic-assisted joint replacement surgery:

Some of our orthopedic surgeons use computer based robotic-assisted techniques to assist with total hip and knee replacement surgeries.

Some patients may be able to have an outpatient joint replacement procedure and go home the same day. Find out more about joint replacement by viewing our patient resources, including a patient handbook and FAQs about knee and hip replacement.