Joint Replacements Available at Inova
Our comprehensive ankle replacement program, available at Inova Fairfax and Inova Mount Vernon Hospitals, offers state-of-the-art surgical options for patients who suffer from chronic ankle pain dues to arthritis or fracture.
Inova's orthopedic surgeons are experts at hip replacement surgery. We offer anterior hip replacement, performed from the front of the hip rather than the back to preserve muscle and improve recovery. We also perform minimally invasive hip replacement surgery, which reduces the amount of trauma to the hip's surround tissues, nerves and ligaments.
Hip Resurfacing
Hip resurfacing preserves more of your body’s natural bone structure and stability than traditional total hip replacements. This special technique can make a difference in your activity level post surgery and can potentially return you to a more physically active lifestyle. Hip resurfacing is not right for everyone. Talk to your orthopedic surgeon about this option.
Anterior Approach to Hip Replacement
Through the use of a specially-designed table for anterior approach hip replacements, surgeons are able to reach the hip joint from the front of the patient rather than the side or back. With a smaller incision and minimal muscle disruption, this type of joint replacement helps the patient heal within a few weeks instead of the traditional two- to four-month recovery.
“This state-of-the-art table will change how hip replacements are performed,” says William Hamilton, MD, chairman, orthopedics, Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. “This anterior approach helps lessen pain and swelling, and helps the patient heal quickly. Patients who have had this procedure can walk the night of their surgery and usually leave the hospital the very next morning.” Benefits of anterior-approach hip replacement procedures include:
- Less trauma to hip and leg muscles
- Shorter hospital stays
- Smaller incisions
- Quicker recovery
- Less pain
Our surgeons have a range of techniques available to knee replacement surgery patients, including "gender knee", minimally invasive with MRI, partial knee replacement and MAKOplasty® knee resurfacing.
Gender Knee
Nearly two-thirds of all knee replacements are performed on women. So if you are a woman, wouldn’t it make sense to have a knee replacement that’s designed for a woman’s unique body and joints? Inova thinks women should have a gender-specific technique. But until recently, surgeons had limited options for knee replacements. Now, thanks to state-of-the-art technology, women can get close to a custom fit. The gender knee replacement is contoured to fit a woman’s knee so women will have less discomfort and better function.
Unicondular and Duce Knee Replacement (partial knee replacement)
Partial knee replacement (usually called a unicompartmental replacement) is done if only part of the knee joint is damaged by arthritis. Think of the knee as having three compartments: an inside, outside, and a front compartment for the kneecap. Most frequently, it is the inside compartment that becomes arthritic. The decision to perform a partial replacement is made only if other compartments have healthy, normal cartilage.
The MAKOplasty® robotic technology, for robotic-assisted partial and total hip and knee replacements, improves accuracy, allows the surgeon to make adjustments for muscular and soft tissue alignment, and yields better outcomes for patients undergoing partial or total hip and knee replacements. This technology is typically used on patients living with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee.
Inova’s team of experienced orthopedic surgeons performs the most shoulder replacements in Northern Virginia using advanced techniques. Our surgeons must meet strict participation criteria based on volume and quality indicators. Read more about Shoulder Replacement at Inova
What Causes a Joint to Need Replacement?
A hip or knee may need to be replaced for a number of medical reasons:
- Arthritis in its different forms (arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis) can break down the integrity of the joint, causing pain, stiffness and inflammation
- Bone disease such as osteonecrosis can result in loss of blood supply to the bone
- Trauma caused by a fracture or dislocations
- Failed or infected replacements from prior procedures, which may require revision surgery