Orthopaedic Surgery
When surgery is recommended, the orthopaedic surgeon will discuss it thoroughly with you in terms that you can understand. You become part of your orthopaedic team in making decisions and in planning your care.

Joint Replacement
A stiff and painful joint due to arthritis can prevent you from performing even the simplest of tasks. When the disability increases to the point that you cannot participate in the activities that you want, it is time to consider joint replacement surgery. Total joint replacement relieves pain, restores virtually all motion, and dramatically improves the quality of life. Although hip and knee replacement are the most common, joint replacement can be performed on other joints such as shoulders, elbows, and fingers. Joint replacement surgery is constantly improving, and University Community Health’s orthopaedic surgeons are committed to providing their patients with the procedure that is best for their condition. Joint replacement surgery can allow years of pain-free living that would not have been possible otherwise.

Our surgeons also offer the latest advancements in minimally invasive joint replacement surgeries, in which smaller incisions, compared to traditional methods, are used. The benefits of this type of surgery are shorter healing times, less scarring, and less time spent in the hospital.

Joint Resurfacing: Birmingham Hip Resurfacing Procedure
University Community Hospital is the first and only facility in Tampa Bay and North/Central Florida to offer its orthopaedic patients a new hip replacement option recently approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) known as the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) technique. Rather than replacing the entire hip joint, as in a total hip replacement, hip resurfacing simply shaves and caps a few centimeters of bone within the joint.

The Birmingham Hip’s bone-conserving approach preserves most of the patient’s natural bone structures and stability, covering the joint’s surfaces with an all-metal implant that more closely resembles a tooth cap than a hip implant. Because the all-metal implant is made from tough, smooth cobalt chrome, it has the potential to last longer than traditional hip implants.

The Birmingham Hip implant is intended for patients suffering from hip pain due to osteoarthritis, dysplasia or avascular necrosis, and for whom total hip replacement may not be appropriate due to their increased level of physical activity. For this reason, most surgeons feel it is ideal for patients under age 60 who live non-sedentary lifestyles.

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