Hyaluronic acid injections Hyaluronic acid is produced naturally in your body to lubricate cartilage in your joints. When other treatments don t work, your doctor may recommend joint replacement surgery. A surgeon removes parts of the damaged joint and replaces them with a plastic or metal device called a prosthesis. Joint replacement is most successful in large joints like hips and knees. Other surgical techniques are designed to remove loose fragments of bone, cartilage or synovial tissue that cause pain.
Surgeons can also reposition bones to help correct deformities.
They can also permanently fuse bones in a joint to increase stability and reduce pain. The fused joint can bear weight but has no flexibility. Medical Essay is a periodic premium publication for Mayo Clinic Health Letter subscribers.