Welcome to minimally invasive total joint replacements

The right procedure and the right implant for the right patient

If you’re reading this page, chances are you’re considering, or are preparing for, total joint replacement surgery. Total joint replacement surgery has been proven over four decades to relieve severe knee or hip pain and restore function in the vast majority of patients. In fact, the National Institutes of Health recently concluded that total knee replacement surgery is a “safe and cost effective treatment for alleviating pain and restoring function in patients who do not respond to non-surgical therapies”.(1)

And, now there’s even better news. Breakthroughs in surgical techniques have been developed that adapt the latest advances in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to total knee and total hip replacement.

Minimally invasive total joint surgery may include the following: a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, and much less scarring. As you can read in the web pages ahead you can learn about these benefits, about arthritis, how to prepare for surgery and what to expect afterward.

What is MIS?

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a general term used to describe any surgical procedure that utilizes a smaller incision than conventional surgery. In some MIS procedures, the amount of soft tissue (muscles and tendons, etc) that is disrupted during surgery may also be reduced. MIS for joint replacement is a relatively new development despite the fact that MIS procedures have been developed years ago for many other areas of surgery including cardiac, gall bladder and spinal surgery.

Stryker has partnered with surgeons worldwide to develop MIS procedures, implants and surgical instruments that will help you achieve lifestyle recovery.

Please click here for more information:

• Knee replacement
• Hip replacement

1 National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement:  Total Knee Replacement.  12/10/03.