Joint Replacement

Joint replacement surgery removes a joint that is damaged or worn down and replaces it with an artificial joint, called a prosthesis.

This may be an option if other treatments have not helped ease your pain or improve how well you can move and do everyday activities.

Types of joint replacement surgery include:

• Anterior approach total hip replacement
• Partial/unicompartmental knee replacement
• Reverse total shoulder replacement
• Total ankle replacement
• Total hip replacement
• Total knee replacement
• Total shoulder replacement

At the Hawaiʻi Pacific Health Bone & Joint Centers, we provide expert orthopedic care for bone, joint, and musculoskeletal conditions for all ages. Our experienced orthopedic surgeons and care teams use the latest treatments to relieve pain, restore movement, and support recovery.

Across our medical centers, we offer complete bone and joint care for a wide range of needs, from common injuries to more-complex conditions that require specialized treatment.

A total hip replacement is a type of surgery that replaces your hip joint with an artificial one. Also called hip arthroplasty, hip replacement surgery replaces a damaged hip joint in order to ease pain and improve movement. Surgery can be performed from behind the hip, to the side of the hip, or from in front of the hip.

Total hip replacement with anterior approach refers to surgeries done from in front of the hip. These surgeries may also be called mini, modified, minimally invasive, or muscle-sparing surgeries.

Using the anterior approach may allow your surgeon to do your total hip replacement surgery through a smaller surgical cut (incision). Because the cut is made in the front of the hip rather than in the side or back, like in traditional hip replacements, having your surgery done this way may have other advantages, such as:

• Less muscle trauma
• Less pain
• Earlier and easier recovery
• Less limping
• Shorter stay in the medical center
• Decreased chance of hip dislocations

During the total hip replacement surgery, an orthopedic surgeon will replace portions of your hip joint with artificial parts. The artificial hip can be made of metal or ceramic, or a combination of these two materials. The artificial hip may have a lining made of plastic, metal, or ceramic.

Younger than 50? Hip preservation may be a better option over total replacement surgery.

The hip joint is one of the body’s largest weight-bearing joints. A healthy hip joint keeps you stable while you walk, squat, twist, and turn.

Sharp pain in the groin when turning or pivoting may be a sign of a tear in the soft tissue around the hip socket. This can happen when the hip joint does not fit together well or when the bones rub in a way they shouldn't.

Over time, these problems may lead to arthritis. Other hip conditions can include:

• Avascular necrosis
• Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH)
• Femoral anteversion/retroversion
• Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease
• Post-traumatic hip deformities
• Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE)

If you're between ages 20 and 50, hip preservation may be an option worth exploring.

When knee pain starts getting in the way of daily life, total knee replacement can help you feel more like yourself again. Our orthopedic teams at Straub Benioff Medical Center and Wilcox Medical Center provide expert care to relieve pain, restore movement, and help you get back to the routines and activities you love.

For many people, knee replacement is considered after other treatments such as medication, injections, bracing, or walking support have not provided enough relief.

From preparation through recovery, you'll be supported every step of the way with education, physical therapy, and a clear plan for healing at home. With compassionate care and a team by your side, you can move forward with more confidence and return to everyday life with greater comfort and strength.

The Wilcox Bone & Joint Center specializes in several types of joint replacement surgery, including total and partial knee replacements using robotic-assisted surgery.

The benefits of using more-precise instrumentation to do joint replacements are many:

• Better mechanical alignment of the implant
• Better balancing of the ligaments that stabilize the knee
• Less invasive surgery
• Shorter hospital stays
• Reduced care costs
• Higher patient satisfaction
• Better patient function
• A return to high-level activities

Our team of experts at the Wilcox Bone & Joint Center provides individualized care using the very latest in medical technology.

Orthopedic Surgeons Dr. Derek Johnson, Dr. David Rovinksy, and Dr. Daniel Judd explain the Wilcox robotics surgery program in the video below.