Joint Reconstruction & Fusion

If the cartilage in a joint becomes worn away or damaged by injury, infection, or disease, the bones will subsequently begin to rub against each other. The ends of the bones will then also wear down, causing a painful, arthritic condition in which a patient’s range of motion in that joint is severely impacted. Thankfully, joint reconstruction and joint fusion procedures can address the underlying issue and alleviate the pain and instability in a compromised joint. 
Joint reconstruction is a broad category of surgical options that aims to remove, repair and even replace the degenerated joint surface, ending the painfully, rough bone-to-bone contact. Joint reconstruction procedures include arthroscopy, osteotomy, resurfacing surgery, arthrodesis, small joint surgery and even full joint replacement. Each range in complexity depending on the extent of the issue and the affected joint.   

Sometimes, however, reducing pain and improving joint strength outweighs mobility. Joint fusion refers to joining the bones of each side of a joint together once the arthritic surface has been fully removed. The tradeoff here is a potential loss in mobility to some degree. However, joint fusion can strengthen a joint and may be used to relieve the pain and correct deformities that interfere with proper functioning. Because of this, joint fusion is typically recommended for physically active patients.