JOINT REPLACEMENT
Bridger Orthopedic’s fellowship-trained, highly experienced, and patient-centered joint replacement specialists offer:
Knee Procedures
Hip Procedures
Facing the possibility of total joint replacement can feel overwhelming, but our orthopedic practice is dedicated to providing exceptional care and optimal outcomes. Our board-certified orthopedic surgeons specialize in primary hip replacement and knee replacement surgery for patients suffering from arthritis, degenerative joint disease, and traumatic injury. From your first consultation through postoperative rehabilitation, our joint replacement team focuses on personalized treatment plans that maximize pain relief, restore function, and help you return to an active lifestyle.
We offer a full range of advanced joint replacement treatment options, including total hip replacement, total knee replacement, partial knee replacement, and revision joint replacement for worn or failing implants. Our orthopedic surgeons utilize advanced techniques such as minimally invasive joint replacement, muscle-sparing approaches, and, when appropriate, computer-assisted or robotic-assisted joint replacement surgery. These modern methods are designed to reduce pain, minimize scarring, shorten hospital stays, and speed recovery time compared to traditional open procedures.
Our practice is committed to using the latest joint replacement technology and evidence-based protocols to achieve the best possible outcomes. We carefully select high-quality implants, customize surgical plans based on each patient’s anatomy and lifestyle, and coordinate closely with physical therapy and rehabilitation services to support lasting success. Whether you need hip replacement, knee replacement, or revision joint replacement, our orthopedic team provides comprehensive, compassionate care aimed at reducing joint pain, improving mobility, and getting you back to the activities you enjoy.
Partial knee replacement (unicompartmental knee arthroplasty) replaces only the damaged compartment of the knee while preserving healthy bone, cartilage, and ligaments.
Benefits of partial knee replacement may include:
Total knee replacement surgery treats advanced knee arthritis and severe joint degeneration by replacing damaged joint surfaces with artificial components designed to restore mobility and reduce pain.
Patients may benefit from total knee replacement when experiencing:
Traditional knee replacement relies on the surgeon’s expertise, alignment guides, and direct visualization during surgery.
Benefits
Robotic-assisted joint replacement uses advanced computer-guided technology to help surgeons improve implant positioning and surgical precision.
Benefits of Robotic-Assisted Knee Replacement
Additional Potential Advantages
Robotic assistance can be used upon the surgeon’s recommendations and the patient anatomy.
Select patients may qualify for outpatient knee replacement surgery at Rocky Mountain Surgical Center, allowing them to return home the same day as surgery.
Potential benefits of outpatient joint replacement include:
A partial hip replacement replaces only the damaged ball portion of the hip joint rather than the entire socket and ball.
Typically used for:
Benefits:
Total hip replacement replaces both the ball and socket portions of the hip joint with implants designed to restore smooth motion and eliminate painful bone-on-bone arthritis. Bridger Orthopedic offers outpatient joint replacement for qualified patients.
Benefits of Total Hip Replacement
Patients often return to:
Traditional hip replacement relies on the surgeon’s expertise, alignment guides, and direct visualization during surgery.
Benefits
Robotic-assisted joint replacement uses advanced computer-guided technology to help surgeons improve implant positioning and surgical precision.
Benefits of Robotic-Assisted Hip Replacement
Additional Potential Advantages
Robotic assistance may be used based on the surgeon’s recommendation and individual patient anatomy.
The posterior approach is the traditional and most commonly used hip replacement technique. The surgeon accesses the hip joint through the back side of the hip and buttock region.
Benefits of Posterior Approach
Considerations
The anterior approach accesses the hip joint from the front of the hip. This technique works between muscles rather than detaching major muscles.
Benefits of Anterior Approach
Considerations
Both anterior and posterior approaches can provide excellent outcomes when matched appropriately to the patient.
Traditional hip replacement relies on the surgeon’s expertise, alignment guides, and direct visualization during surgery.
Benefits
Robotic-assisted joint replacement uses advanced computer-guided technology to help surgeons improve implant positioning and surgical precision.
Benefits of Robotic-Assisted Hip Replacement
Additional Potential Advantages
Robotic assistance can be used with either anterior or posterior hip replacement approaches, depending on the surgeon’s recommendations and patient anatomy.
In the low back, nerves join to form the sciatic nerve, which runs down into the leg and controls the leg muscles. Sciatica is a condition that may cause radiating pain, numbness, tingling, and/or muscle weakness in the leg but originates from nerve root impingement in the lower back. Nerve impingement is most often caused by a herniated disk or spinal stenosis.
Stenosis refers to a narrowing of the spinal canal, usually in the lower back (lumbar) region. This narrowing is often a result of the normal degenerative aging process. It occurs as the disks of cartilage that separate the spine's vertebrae lose water and the space between the vertebrae become smaller, causing friction between the bones. The loss of water in the disks makes them less flexible and unable to act as shock absorbers in the spine. Daily wear and tear on the spine becomes more significant without these shock absorbers.
As the disks degenerate, vertebrae may shift, causing the spinal canal to narrow. In some cases, the nerves that travel through the spinal column to the legs become squeezed. This can cause back and leg pain, and even leg weakness. Arthritis and falls also contribute to the narrowing of the spinal canal, compressing the nerves and nerve roots and causing pain and discomfort.
Degenerative disk disease is a general term applied to back pain that has lasted for more than three months. It is caused by degenerative changes in the intervertebral disks in the spine and can occur anywhere in the spine: low back (lumbar), mid-back (thoracic), or neck (cervical).
Under the age of 30, these disks are normally soft, and they act as cushions for the vertebrae. With age, the material in these lumbar disks becomes less flexible and the disks begin to erode, losing some of their height. As their thickness decreases, their ability to act as a cushion lessens. The less dense cushion now alters the position of the vertebrae and the ligaments that connect them. In some cases, the loss of density can even cause the vertebra to shift their positions. As the vertebrae shift and affect the other bones, the nerves can get caught or pinched and muscle spasms can occur.
Degenerative disk disease is primarily a result of the normal aging process, but it may also occur as a result of trauma, infection, or direct injury to the disk. Heredity and physical fitness may also play a part in the process.
The spinal vertebrae are separated by flexible disks of shock absorbing cartilage. These disks are made of a supple outer layer with a soft jelly-like core (nucleus). If a disk is compressed, so that part of it intrudes into the spinal canal but the outer layer has not been ruptured, it may be referred to as a "bulging" disk. This condition may or may not be painful and is extremely common.
Herniated disks are often referred to as "slipped" or "ruptured" disks. When a disk herniates, the tissue located in the center (nucleus) of the disk is forced outward. Although the disk does not actually "slip," strong pressure on the disk may force a fragment of the nucleus to rupture the outer layer of the disk.
If the disk fragment does not interfere with the spinal nerves, the injury is usually not painful. If the disk fragment moves into the spinal canal and presses against one or more of the spinal nerves, it can cause nerve impingement and pain.
If the injured disk is in the low back, it may produce pain, numbness, or weakness in the lower back, leg, or foot. If the injured disk is in the neck, it may produce pain, numbness, or weakness in the shoulder, arm, or hand.
Radiculopathy refers to a condition in which the spinal nerve roots are irritated or compressed. Many people refer to it as having a "pinched nerve." Lumbar nerve impingement indicates that the nerve roots in the lower spine are involved, while cervical radiculopathy is associated with nerve roots in the neck. Nerve impingement is most often caused by a herniated disk or spinal stenosis.
An epidural is a potent steroid injection that helps decrease the inflammation of compressed spinal nerves to relieve pain in the back, neck, arms or legs. Cortisone is injected directly into the spinal canal for pain relief from conditions such as herniated disks, spinal stenosis, or radiculopathy. Some patients may need only one injection, but it usually takes two or three injections, given two weeks apart, to provide significant pain relief.
