The UNI Knee
Total joint replacement is a procedure that significantly improves a patient's quality of life. More than 500,000 joint replacement procedures are performed every year. Implant success rates at 20 years are 93% for the knee and 86% for the hip. New to this area of orthopaedic surgery is the UNI knee replacement, which involves resurfacing only the portion or compartment of the knee that is diseased. "The knee joint is comprised of three compartments, the medial, lateral and kneecap compartment," said David F. Dalury, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates who specializes in joint replacement surgery. "In order to be a candidate to have a UNI knee replacement, the patient must have only one compartment of those three mentioned with disease or arthritis. "The other two compartments need to be essentially healthy."

This UNI knee or half knee replacement is a significant development because it removes only the diseased parts of the knee, leaving the normal tissues. "The long term outcomes with the UNI knee have been comparable with the total knee replacement," said Dr. Dalury. "When indicated, it is less invasive so that there is an easier recovery. Anytime you have a less invasive procedure where there is less bone cutting and less pain we see patients have an easier recovery."

Minimally Invasive Hip Surgery
Minimally invasive hip surgery provides patients with a smaller incision resulting in a smaller scar. The new procedure, indicated for a select group of patients, replaces the 12-18 inch incision with a dramatically smaller incision. There are many advantages to this surgical technique. "These advantages include a more gentle treatment of the musculature surrounding the hip joint but never to the point that there is a risk of compromise to the positioning of the implants," said Dr. Dalury.

"Also, a smaller incision results in a decrease of postoperative pain so the patient has a quicker recovery time." Dr. Dalury is one of the few physicians in the county performing the procedure.

Ankle Replacement Surgery
The treatment of ankle arthritis has been undergoing a state of change over the course of the last ten years. Hip and Knee replacements are very commonplace but now there is an ankle replacement procedure showing great promise. "In previous decades the tried and true method of surgical repair for ankle arthritis has been a fusion of the ankle joint," said Jeffrey T. Brodie, MD orthopaedic surgeon and foot and ankle specialist at Orthopaedic Associates. "However there is no motion present with the fusion causing problems to the joints above and below the ankle. We're having great success with the new ankle replacement procedure. For patients with longstanding pain and dysfunction, this surgery provides the ability to return to a more active and generally pain-free lifestyle.

New Thumb Implant Relieves Pain
For patients who suffer from severe arthritis pain in the joint where the thumb meets the wrist, called the CMC joint, a new procedure offers a surgical solution to their pain. A spherical device called the Orthosphere arthroplasty implant is placed into the CMC joint. "The goal of this device is to re-center the thumb and re-establish the proper joint space height," explained Michael J. Marion, MD, orthopaedic surgeon and hand specialist at Orthopaedic Associates. "This allows unlimited motion between the bone surface and the implant so that the natural function of the joint can be restored."

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