Custom Wrist Replacement May Be a Better Option for Arthritis Patients

I have hip replacements and knee replacements (both sides) and needed them at a relatively young age because of rheumatoid arthritis. They are considered fairly common surgeries. Every year in the United States alone, more than 285,000 hip replacements are performed, and the number is expected to double to about 573,000 by the year 2030. More than 300,000 knee replacements are performed every year in the United States and the number is expected to increase 525% by the year 2030.

But wrist replacement is another matter. You don't hear about it quite as much as hip and knee replacement -- but for those going through the surgery, the expected benefit is the same -- pain relief and better joint function. Think of how much you use your wrist -- from brushing your teeth to picking up a baby and everything in between. Wrist pain can literally be disabling. A new customized wrist replacement has been introduced by Dr. William Seitz, an orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. The custom wrist replacement is half the cost of a traditional wrist replacement and is a better fit than the one-size-fits all traditional wrist replacement.

The alternative to wrist replacement is wrist arthrodesis (fusion) but that takes away the movement that is still possible with replacement. According to Ivanhoe.com, Dr. Seitz has also developed a custom elbow replacement. Improvements in joint replacement are exciting because they mirror a normal joint more closely and potentially last longer.

Related Resources:

• More About Wrist Pain
• Wrist Osteoarthritis - What You Need to Know
• What Is Joint Replacement Surgery?
• Questions & Answers About Joint Fusion

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