At Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), we set out to evaluate outcomes for recent knee replacement patients when nonessential in-person doctor visits and physical therapy were halted in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Our thought-provoking study found that the shutdown did not lead to a higher complication rate, nor did it affect patient-reported outcomes after surgery. Our study appeared online ahead of print in the Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery. Elective, nonessential orthopedic care, including in-person office visits and physical therapy, was halted on March 16, 2020 at the ons ..read more

Sometimes, arthritis gets so bad that nothing seems to help, and people decide they are ready for joint replacement surgery. When that time comes, some patients are surprised to learn they will have to wait a few months because they recently had an injection of a steroid or hyaluronic acid. Waiting is not the only issue. The injections do little to relieve pain when someone has bone-on-bone arthritis and is a candidate for joint replacement. If there is any pain relief at all, it is very short-lived, and most patients are very disappointed. The other issue is that patients who receive a steroi ..read more

Cementless knee replacement, an alternative to traditional cemented knee replacement surgery, is gaining interest in the field of orthopedic surgery. We launched a study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) to compare outcomes of a modern cementless knee implant to the standard knee implant that requires bone cement for fixation.  Our study found no difference in hospital length of stay, complications, hospital readmission within 90 days of surgery, or rates of revision surgery at two-year patient follow-up. We presented our research at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2022 A ..read more

Outpatient hip and knee replacements are on the rise. Yes, increasing numbers of patients are going home the same day they have joint replacement surgery. We launched a study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) to see if patients who went home the same day did as well as those who spent one or more nights in the hospital. Analyzing information from a large database that included patients nationwide, we found no significant difference in complication rates for outpatient hip replacement. For knee replacement, we found slightly higher odds of complications in patients who left the hospital on ..read more

These days you hear a lot about the use of robotics in joint replacement and other surgical procedures. Many orthopedic surgeons who perform robot-assisted surgery find that it improves the accuracy and predictability of a knee or hip replacement.  Indeed, the use of computer-assisted navigation and robotic assistance for total knee replacement has grown tremendously over the past few years and shows no sign of slowing down. Among American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons attending the 2020 annual meeting, 77% of respondents indicated that they used technology in their surgical cases ..read more

After multiple joint replacement surgeries, my patient Lorry jokingly calls herself a “bionic woman.” She always enjoyed an active lifestyle, so when arthritis caused by wear and tear started to take an unwelcome toll on her knees and hips, she refused to take it sitting down. Over the last six years, she has received four joint replacements – both knees and both hips – so she could enjoy life without pain. It’s not unusual for patients to have advanced arthritis in two joints. Having four joint replacements is less common, but it does happen. I recommend that people considering multiple joint ..read more

Hip replacement to relieve arthritis pain is considered one of the most effective surgeries in the United States. Over the past decade, improvements in surgical technique, implant design, anesthesia and pain control after surgery have contributed to its success, says Geoffrey Westrich, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS).  More than 450,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. One of the most noteworthy advances is what’s known as a “dual mobility” hip replacement, acco ..read more

Knee replacement surgery is one of the most effective and predictable orthopedic procedures.  Hundreds of thousands of patients have a knee replacement each year so they can enjoy life pain-free and get back to activities they’ve given up.   Over the past couple of years, I’ve seen good outcomes with a newer type of “cementless” or uncemented knee replacement. There is reason to believe that this type of implant could last longer than traditional implants that require the use of bone cement.  The traditional implant used in knee replacement generally lasts a long time—15 ..read more

Having a hip or knee replacement and going home from the hospital the same day is becoming more common. The surgery is generally performed early in the morning, and the patient goes home at the end of the day. Five years ago, outpatient joint replacement was almost unthinkable. But advances in technology, surgical technique and pain management over the past few years have made same-day hip or knee replacement a viable option for patients who meet certain criteria. During the pandemic, many people find this appealing since they leave the hospital more quickly and can spend their first night aft ..read more

Over the past two decades, I have seen many advances in joint replacement surgery that have benefited patients. I believe robotic-assisted knee replacement, which allows for an ultra-precise procedure, is one of the most exciting.  I recently reached a milestone when I performed my 500th robotic-assisted knee replacement. I use the MAKO robotic system, which is FDA-approved for both total and partial knee replacements. Joint replacement is highly successful in relieving arthritis pain and improving quality of life, and robotic system allows us to really customize the procedure for each p ..read more