Joint Replacement Doctor

At University Orthopaedic Surgeons, we are committed to providing the joint replacement care patients need to excel. We proudly serve our communities in Knoxville, Sevierville, and the surrounding areas with specialized and compassionate care from our highly trained and skilled doctors, surgeons, and staff.

No matter where life takes you—chasing after a ball, keeping up with children, or entertaining friends—your daily routine depends on your ankle, hip, knee, and shoulder joints to get you there. 

Pain in your joints can make it challenging to complete your everyday work, school, or home responsibilities, much less participate in a sport. Whether you're experiencing pain in your ankle, hip, knee, or shoulder, stiffness and discomfort take away from your quality of life. Through joint arthroplasty, or joint replacement surgery, life without joint pain is possible. By seeing a surgeon who specializes in joint replacement surgery, you can learn more about the treatment options available to you.

Joint replacement doctors can address any common or complex conditions affecting your ankles, hips, knees, or shoulders. This may mean addressing a medical condition, such as arthritis, or in other instances, offering relief from a nagging old sports injury. 

Patients visit a joint replacement doctor for many common reasons, such as:

• Arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or post-traumatic arthritis
• Chronic ankle, hip, knee, or shoulder pain
• Damage to the nerves, bones, or cartilage
• Stiffness, swelling, or other forms of chronic discomfort around the joint
• Injury from a car accident, workplace accident, or sports-related accident

When you meet with a joint replacement specialist, they will begin with a careful evaluation and an accurate diagnosis. In some cases, this may mean that total joint replacement surgery won't be necessary at all, leaving some patients to experience recovery through physical therapy, an exercise program, heat or ice therapy, injections, or the use of medication. These methods are also used in postoperative recovery after joint replacement surgery.

For those who do require surgery, there are various surgical techniques that are used. Often, either partial or total joint replacement surgery is recommended, such as knee replacement. This involves replacing the existing joint with a man-made, or artificial, implant. 

Joint replacement surgery can address a range of needs for the ankle, hip, knee, or shoulder and can be performed through traditional methods or a number of minimally invasive approaches, such as robotic-assisted techniques. 

Visiting a medical doctor is recommended if your condition meets any of these criteria:

• You are unable to hold your own body weight
• You experience instability or wobbliness
• You experience numbness or a lack of physical sensation in your joints
• You have difficulty walking or are walking with a limp
• Your pain does not respond to self-care or other conservative treatments
• Your pain impedes your daily activity or quality of life
• Your pain worsens at night

To learn more about the different types of joint replacement procedures offered at University Orthopaedic Surgeons and what to expect following surgery, please click on the links below.

Comprehensive Total Joint Care

When a door in your home will not open and close properly, there a lot of solutions to try before replacing the hinges. Our joint replacement surgeons take the same approach to treating damaged joints caused by injury or arthritis. Before recommending surgery, our experts will always pursue nonsurgical options first, including anti-inflammatory medications, exercise, and physical therapy with a certified physical therapist.

Our total joint surgeons operate the Total Joint Center at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, which is the only accredited facility in Knoxville. They specialize not only in patient-centered care in joint replacement and reconstruction but also joint preservation and joint revision surgery. Our surgeons routinely replace ankle, hip, knee, and shoulder joints, using state-of-the-art technology and advanced surgical techniques. They also offer minimally invasive procedures, such as anterior approach hip replacement, robotic-arm assisted knee replacement surgery, and partial knee replacement.

Using these advanced techniques, our joint replacement surgeons offer outpatient joint replacement, which allows patients to leave the same day as their procedure and recover safely at home.

When arthritis or other damage reaches a level of severity and perseverance requiring total joint replacement, our specialty-trained surgeons and team of professionals support patients every step of the way, from surgery through rehabilitation, with our comprehensive joint replacement program.

Our joint replacement doctors understand that joint pain can keep you from living life to the fullest. To schedule an appointment with one of our joint replacement specialists, call (865) 546-2663 for our UT Research Park, and Sevierville offices, (865) 218-9300 for our West Knoxville office, or request an appointment online.

Exceptional Care at University Orthopaedic Surgeons

Our years of experience and advanced training devoted to the care of orthopaedic issues, including those affecting the joints, make us who we are, but our compassionate care of our patients is what makes us dedicated to you. Our joint replacement specialists at University Orthopaedic Surgeons, Dr. Brian Edkin, Dr. Michael Eilerman, Dr. Benjamin Kopp, Dr. Michael McCollum, Dr. Philip McDowell, Dr. Joshua Moss, Dr. William Oros, Dr. Christine Seaworth, Dr. Scott Smith, Dr. Brian Tonne, and Dr. Kostas Triantafillou, are unparalleled experts in accurately diagnosing and effectively treating severe joint injuries and conditions in a broad range of patients, and they continuously strive to exceed our patients' expectations in the delivery of care.

To consult with a University Orthopaedic Surgeons joint replacement surgeon, please request an appointment online or call (865) 546-2663 for our UT Research Park and Sevierville offices or (865) 218-9300 for our West Knoxville office.