Specifics about Surgery
There are many different types of hip and knee replacements and your surgery will be specifically tailored not only to your anatomy but also to the way your arthritis has developed. Dr. Lutz will often change components, approaches, and even surgical techniques to help optimize the outcomes for you. Below are some descriptions of his preferences and also the common implants used in Saskatchewan.
Surgical Approach
There is some controversy as to which approach is best when performing a total hip replacement. The three common approaches are lateral, posterior and anterior approaches. Although Dr. Lutz can perform all three approaches, his preference is the posterior approach. He believes that this is the safest way to minimize soft tissue damage and restore normal anatomy. For scholarly support, follow the link https://icjr.net/articles/does-the-surgical-approach-affect-the-revision-rate-in-tha#:~:text=The%20anterior%20approach%20was%20associated,with%20the%20other%202%20approaches.
Component Selection
Currently (Oct, 2020) Saskatchewan has an exclusive contract with Zimmer Biomet for Hip and Knee Replacement components. Zimmer Biomet has a full range of primary and revision components. In general, the acetabulum, femoral component and tibial components are all Titanium. The bearing surfaces are most often Cobalt/Chrome on polyethelene but sometimes will be made of ceramic. All components implanted are recorded and tracked by the Canadian Joint Replacement Registry (to which Dr Lutz is the Saskatchewan Representative).
Resurfacing your patella (kneecap) during knee replacement
Dr Lutz selectively resurfaces the patella, usually if there is significant wear or mal-tracking, but does not do this all the time.