It's a decision that's going to stay with you. Today there are more choices than ever when it comes to artificial joints.
"Such as custom knee replacements, robotic knee replacements, computer assisted knee replacement," says Dr. Ed Humbert, orthopedic surgeon on Lee Memorial Health System's medical staff.
Young patients in their 30s and 40s want joints that will last a long time. That may rest with newer materials.
"There's ceramic articulating surfaces that should not wear out as quickly but the risk of ceramics with the hip would be that ceramic is a glass material so there's risk for a fracture or a crack," says Dr. Humbert.
Typical age of knee or hip replacement is over 70. Those patients might be well served by tried and true.
"Which would be a standard hip replacement, a metal ball and plastic liner.
Technology that we've had around for 25 or 30 years that I know in my heart is going to take that patient until they are 100 years old," says Dr. Humbert.
Size matters when it comes to an artificial joint. Major manufacturers have sizes to fit almost everyone. Branded products are based on variations, for example: the female knee.
"The female knee is a narrowed femoral component- though that narrow component is actually needed for some men," says Dr. Humbert.
For all the buzz about custom joints, it's really a custom fit you're getting.
"The implant itself is not the custom part. The guide that we get designed for that patient is the custom part of the knee," says Dr. Humbert.
Surgeons say the implant that works best, is the one that's put in properly.
"The best tool we have is our brain and our two hands," says Dr. Humbert.
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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we've been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.
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