Joint replacement is a surgical procedure in which a diseased or damaged joint is replaced with an artificial joint called an implant.

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Made of metal alloys and high grade plastics (to better match the function of bone and cartilage, respectively), the implant is designed to move much like a healthy human joint.

 

Over the years, joint replacement techniques and instrumentation have undergone countless improvements. The key characteristic of these techniques is the use of smaller incisions. Such improvements may result in less trauma to soft tissue.