Joint Replacement Arthroplasty in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that could affect small joint of hands and feet. Major joints such as hip, knee and shoulder could also be affected at the late stage of the progression. With chronic inflammation of the synovium, RA can cause joint pain and swelling, as well as destruction of cartilage, which leads to joint deformity and disability. Artificial joint replacement is a surgical intervention that uses prosthetic joints to replace the damaged joints with pain, deformity and loss of range of motion due to trauma or disease. It has been applied in clinical practice for decades. This article summarizes the indications, contraindications, surgical procedures, perioperative management and complications of prosthetic joint replacement for RA patients.