Total joint replacement is usually reserved for patients who have suffered an injury or experiencing severe arthritic conditions. Circumstances may vary, but generally patients are considered for joint replacement when pain severely limits your everyday activities, when pain continues while resting or when you’re not getting the results you want from other treatments.

Your joints are involved in almost every activity you do. A joint is formed by the ends of two or more bones that are connected by thick bands of tissue called ligaments. The ends of the bone in a joint are covered with a smooth, soft material called cartilage. The rest of the surfaces of the joint are covered by a thin, smooth tissue lining called the synovium. The synovium produces fluid that acts as a lubricant to reduce friction and wear in the joint. Normally, all parts of these joints work together and the joint moves easily and without pain. But when the joint becomes diseased or injured, the resulting pain can severely limit your mobility. Joint replacement can reduce or eliminate that pain, and help you get back to your daily routine.

Depending on the type of surgery you need (shoulder, hip, knee, foot, finger), this surgical procedure in which certain parts of an arthritic or damaged joint, are removed and replaced with a plastic or metal device called a prosthesis. The prosthesis is designed to enable the artificial joint to move just like a normal, healthy joint.

When you need orthopaedic care, there’s no substitute for excellence, experience, and personal attention you’ll get here at Unity. We have the largest, most experienced team of joint replacement surgeons in the area. And our Center has earned the prestigious Gold Seal of Approval™ for health care quality from the Joint Commission.

We consistently earn outstanding ratings in patient satisfaction surveys – and this "vote of confidence" is the best compliment we could ever receive. That is why people from all over western New York choose our Joint Center of Excellence.