Blog Post

“Is it time to think about joint replacement?” That’s one of the most common questions our fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons at Northeast Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine hear from patients struggling to manage their osteoarthritis. 

While there’s no single moment that makes the decision obvious, there are clear signs that can help you recognize when it’s time to schedule a joint replacement consultation with our experts.

What is osteoarthritis?

The best starting point when considering a joint replacement for osteoarthritis is understanding how the disease affects your joints. This kind of arthritis, sometimes called wear-and-tear arthritis, develops as the smooth cartilage that cushions your bones wears down.

With healthy cartilage, the bones in your joint can intersect normally, gliding easily. Without that cushion, bones rub together. This is what triggers common osteoarthritis symptoms like pain, joint swelling, and stiffness. 

For many people with osteoarthritis, these symptoms steadily increase over the years. Untreated, the symptoms can eventually become very disruptive in your daily life and lead to a poor quality of life. 

Osteoarthritis has become much more common — the number of people affected has roughly doubled in the past three decades. That means more adults than ever are navigating joint pain and asking important questions about how to stay active and when to consider additional treatment.

Osteoarthritis usually affects weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips, but it can also develop in the shoulders and other joints.

How osteoarthritis progresses 

Osteoarthritis usually develops slowly. The early signs of osteoarthritis are often subtle, and many people think it’s just ordinary aging aches and pains. For example, you initially may have mild stiffness in the morning or increased joint soreness after exercise. 

As cartilage continues to erode, symptoms often become more noticeable and more frequent. You may begin to feel pain during everyday tasks such as walking around the block, bending down, climbing stairs, or standing in line. Swelling and joint tenderness may increase.

Over time, the joint can lose flexibility, making movement feel more restricted. After years of osteoarthritis, even minor everyday movement, such as walking around in your home, may feel difficult. 

Signs that conservative treatment is no longer enough

Many people manage early and mid-stage osteoarthritis with physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and activity modification. As symptoms worsen, many patients experience good results with joint injections or other advanced pain management techniques. 

However, certain signs may suggest that conservative care isn’t providing enough relief anymore. These may include:

• Pain that disrupts normal routines in your daily life
• Avoiding activities you enjoy due to joint discomfort
• Stiffness that doesn’t lessen after movement
• Joint pain that keeps you from having restful sleep
• Significant decrease in the joint’s range of motion

Just one of these issues is enough to seriously affect your quality of life — and it’s common to have several of these with advanced-stage osteoarthritis.

When joint replacement becomes the best option

Our surgeons at Northeast Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine make every effort to help you manage your symptoms without surgery. But osteoarthritis is a progressive and persistent disease, so there may come a time when symptoms remain despite consistent nonsurgical treatment. 

The goal of surgery is to ease your symptoms, restore proper joint movement, and improve your daily function.

During joint replacement, your surgeon removes damaged cartilage and bone from the joint and replaces them with smooth, durable components made from medical-grade metal, high-quality polyethylene, or ceramic materials. 

Our surgeons use modern, evidence-based joint replacement techniques that help restore healthy joint movement with as little time in the hospital or surgery center as possible. With some procedures, you go home the same day; others may require just one overnight.

If osteoarthritis has started to make your daily life difficult, book an appointment with us in San Antonio, Schertz, New Braunfels, or Live Oak, Texas, to discuss how joint replacement could help.