Total knee replacement involves removing all the damaged bone and cartilage in your knee, after which a new, artificial knee (called a prosthesis) is placed. This prevents further bone-on-bone erosion, restoring your mobility.

Partial knee replacement is surgery to replace a section of a damaged knee. It involves a similar process of removing damaged cartilage, and then that section is replaced with a prosthesis.

In posterior hip replacement, known as “traditional” hip replacement, the surgeon makes a 6- to 10-inch incision on the back of your hip. The surgeon then removes the damaged cartilage in your hip socket and replaces the ball at the top of the thighbone (femur) and the hip socket with a prosthesis. This approach gives your surgeon full access to your hip and preserves the hip abductor muscles, minimizing the risk of dysfunction post-operatively. You may have some restrictions in bending your hip after this approach.

In lateral hip replacement, the surgeon makes an incision in the side of your hip. The surgeon then removes the damaged cartilage in your hip socket and replaces the ball at the top of the thighbone (femur) and the hip socket with a prosthesis. This approach usually allows for a smaller incision than in traditional hip replacement.

In the anterior approach, your surgeon will access your hip through a small incision in the front of your hip, avoiding cutting major muscles. There are fewer muscles at the front of your hip, so it is possible to access your hip by simply moving the muscles aside. The doctor then removes the damaged cartilage in your hip socket and replaces the ball at the top of the thighbone (femur) and the hip socket with a prosthesis. There are no restrictions in bending your hip after this approach.