Total joint arthroplasty: hip, knee, and shoulder

Patients with arthritis often want more information about their disease and surgery than physicians realize. They turn to the popular press, which focuses on recent, often untested innovations that capture the imagination. This information is not always consistent with the longer, more mundane perspective of science. There has been promising progress in uncemented arthroplasty, but conventional techniques remain useful. Revolutionary change awaits new materials. Particularly significant advances have enabled surgeons to prevent or rectify complications of reconstructive joint surgery.