Patient Risk Information
For RX use only. Seek professional medical advice for specific personal care. Individual results may vary and all patients may not return to the same activity level. Information from Arthrosurface® is for educational purposes only. Please speak to your doctor to decide if joint resurfacing is appropriate for you. Only a doctor can decide which products and treatments are right for your own individual condition.
Joint resurfacing is not appropriate for patients with infections, certain neuromuscular disorders which would create an unacceptable risk of implant instability, implant fixation failure or complications in postoperative care, or severe instability of a joint. The lifetime of any device is limited and depends on several factors including weight, activity level, bone and cartilage health.
How long will the HemiCAP® implant last? Your surgeon expects the devices to last as long as similar metallic devices but it will depend on your general health, activity level, and adherence to your doctor’s orders following surgery. Currently over 45,000 patients have been treated with Arthrosurface implants and some have been in place for as long as 10 years already. What happens if the HemiCAP® fails? If the HemiCAP® ever fails, it may be replaced with a total joint replacement. Does the HemiCAP® burn any bridges? There is minimal bone removed with the Arthrosurface HemiCAP® implants, while existing joint replacements surgically remove the entire bone surface (on both sides of the joint). This means that with joint replacements, there is far less of the natural bone to work with if future surgery is required. The HemiCAP® systems leave more bone intact, providing more options should future surgery be required. Will I feel the implant? No, you will not be able to feel the implant. It is surgically placed so there are no protruding edges. The bone and the implant become a smooth surface you will not feel. How long will I be out of work? This will depend on your overall health, range of motion and the type of work you do. Many patients have experienced a rapid return to daily activities. However, as with all medical treatments, individual results may vary. What type of physical therapy will I need to do? Your doctor and therapist will design a rehabilitation protocol to return strength to your muscles so you can return to your original lifestyle as quickly as possible. Patients are encouraged to walk and move around immediately to prevent the buildup of scar tissue and rehab is usually measured in weeks rather than months. Are you a candidate? • Aged 35 to 75 years old • Want to regain your active lifestyle • You have had conservative treatments but the pain has returned • You cannot afford lengthy rehabilitation time or excessive time off work • You want to fix your joint problem now versus waiting for your joint to undergo further damage • Your surgeon has told you that you will need a total joint replacement in the future Questions to ask your Doctor during your visit: • Will my joint feel normal and move naturally after I have the surgery? • Is my cartilage damage localized? • Is the alignment of my joint close to normal? • Is my joint unstable? • Do I have any joint space remaining? • How long will I be hospitalized? • Can the procedure be performed on an outpatient basis? • Will the recovery take weeks or months? • Can I go back to all my previous sports and activities?