Blog

Sometimes referred to as revision arthroplasty, revision joint replacement is sometimes necessary when a joint replacement implant wears out, causes pain, becomes unstable, gets deeply infected, or starts to fail. 

Complex joint revisions are thankfully uncommon and require a skilled surgeon to properly perform. Revision joint replacement surgery is complex and requires meticulous skill and planning. If it is complicated enough to require bone or joint reconstruction, it requires a doctor who is specialized in complex orthopedics. 

At Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center, Dr. Ron Hugate and Dr. Jeremy Kinder are both experts in complex revision and reconstruction. They provide other orthopedic surgeons and patients suffering from a failed joint replacement with a resource and a referral center. 

While it is rare that a patient may need a joint revision, it is typically due to one of the following causes: 

• Loosening of the joint replacement parts, which leads to instability, reduced range of motion, and pain. Revision is done in this case to remedy the instability and reduced range of motion. 

• A fracture of the bones that hold the joint replacement implant in place could cause instability in the joint or a separation of the implants from the bone. 
• Infection in the joint, which can cause loosening of the implant and lead to stiffening and pain in the replaced joint. 
• Trauma to a joint with a joint replacement that results in implant breakage, loosening or instability. 
• Joint instability (joint “pops out”) when an implant wears out or is not properly positioned in the bone. 
• An implant wears out over a long time. If the plastic pieces in joint implants begin to wear that may be the only part that needs revision, in other cases, the entire implant may need to be revised or replaced.