Until now, surgical treatments have been almost nonexistent for middle-aged and younger people with osteoarthritis. Knee and hip arthritis sufferers have had to endure their pain until they were old enough – usually around age 65 – for a total joint replacement that would serve them throughout old age.

Today there are new, FDA-approved surgical treatments provided by a few elite surgeons across the United States, including UAMS' Dr. Richard Evans. These minimally invasive, revolutionary treatments give effective relief of knee and hip pain that last until joint replacement surgery becomes necessary.

The following is a brief description of our specialized treatments:

• Knee – In 2007, Dr. Evans became the first surgeon in Arkansas and among the first in the country to perform a "bicompartmental knee resurfacing," which uses special metal implants to create new joint surfaces. Prior to this breakthrough, there was little that surgeons could do to relieve arthritis pain, short of a total knee replacement. Now, the knee resurfacing allows arthritis sufferers to resume a pain-free, active lifestyle decades before you need a total knee replacement. The minimally invasive surgery allows patients to recover quickly and begin walking pain-free within hours.
• Hip – As with the knee, new resurfacing materials and techniques can relieve arthritis pain and preserve hips throughout middle age. Dr. Evans again was among an elite few in 2007 qualified to perform this unique hip surgery. The all-metal resurfacing components are made from cobalt chrome and designed for low friction to provide longer-lasting performance than traditional hip implants. The minimally invasive surgery allows patients to recover quickly and to begin walking pain-free within hours.

Hip Resurfacing Gave Patient Her Life Back - Patient Story

If you need to see a specialist at the UAMS Center for Hip and Knee Surgery, please ask your primary care physician for a referral.