This surgery alleviates pain by replacing the damaged bone and cartilage with a metal and plastic implant. The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint, much like the hip joint. The ball is the top of the arm bone (the humerus), and the socket is within the shoulder blade (scapula).

When shoulder replacement surgery is performed, the ball is removed from the top of the humerus and replaced with a metal implant. This is shaped like a half-moon and attached to a stem inserted down the center of the arm bone. The socket portion of the joint is shaved clean and replaced with a plastic socket that is cemented into the scapula.

The BHR device consists of a socket in the shape of a shallow cup (acetabular component), and a cap in the form of a ball head (femoral resurfacing component).

The cap moves within the cup. The surfaces that rub against each other (the bearing couple) are made from highly-polished metal. This type of bearing couple is called a metal-on-metal bearing couple.

The cup (acetabular component) is available in two styles: a one-piece cup or a two-piece cup. The one-piece cup is a single component. The two-piece cup has a metal outer shell and a separate metal liner that locks into the shell.

A total hip replacement is a surgical procedure whereby the diseased cartilage and bone of the hip joint is surgically replaced with artificial materials. The normal hip joint is a ball and socket joint. The socket is a “cup-shaped” bone of the pelvis called the acetabulum. The ball is the head of the thigh bone (femur). Total hip joint replacement involves surgical removal of the diseased ball and socket and replacing them with a metal ball and stem inserted into the femur bone and an artificial plastic cup socket. The metallic artificial ball and stem are referred to as the “prosthesis.” Upon inserting the prosthesis into the central core of the femur, it is fixed with bony cement called methyl methacrylate. Alternatively, a “cementless” prosthesis is used which has microscopic pores that allow bony ingrowth from the normal femur into the prosthesis stem. This “cementless” hip is felt to have a longer duration and is considered especially for younger patients.

A unicondylar knee replacement replaces only half of the knee joint. It is performed if the damage is limited to one side of the joint only with the remaining part of the knee joint being relatively spared. It is now possible for the surgeon to replace only that area of the knee joint which is severely damaged.

If your knee is severely damaged by arthritis or injury, it may be hard to perform simple activities such as walking or climbing stairs & one may even begin to feel pain while you are sitting or lying down.

In total knee replacement the diseased knee joint is replaced with artificial material.  During a total knee replacement, the end of the femur bone is removed and replaced with a metal shell. The end of the lower leg bone (tibia) is also removed and replaced with a channeled plastic piece with a metal stem. Depending on the condition of the kneecap portion of the knee joint, a plastic “button” may also be added under the kneecap surface.