Beyond joint replacement | 合法醫療器材資訊網

2016年3月28日—AnotheroptioniscalledtheOATSprocedure,orosteochondralautografttransfersystem.Surgeonstakearound,plug-shapedpieceofboneand ...

Joint replacements are a great option for patients with debilitating injuries or arthritis. More than one million Americans have a hip, knee or shoulder replaced each year, and the procedures have become so routine that many patients are up on their feet and walking a few days after surgery.

But theyre not perfect. Its still invasive surgery, and patients run the risk of infections and other complications. Plus, the new joint can wear down after many years, requiring additional repair procedures.

Lewis Shi[1], MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Chicago Medicine who specializes in shoulder and elbow injuries, says that even though joint replacements have been perfected over the last few decades, surgeons should still view them as a last resort. "Joint replacement is getting better and better, but its not getting better at a rate where you can overcome an aging population ...