Joint replacements exist for other joints too, such as the shoulder, wrist, and ankle. Knee and hip replacements are most commonly performed. According to the National Institutes of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, about 435,000 Americans have a hip or knee replaced each year.
Related Resources
Sources:
1."Disease Center." Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Foundation. <http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/diseasecenter/RA/ra_symptoms.asp>
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis. American College of Rheumatology. <http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/ra_new.asp?aud=pat>
3."Health Topics." Joint Replacement Surgery and You. NIAMS. <http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/jointrep.htm>
4. Anaya, JM. "Pulmonary involvement in rheumatoid arthritis." Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism 24(4) Feb 1995 242-54. <http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/S0049-0172(95)80034-4>.
