n. surgical refashioning of a diseased joint to relieve pain and to maintain or regain movement. An excision (or resection) arthroplasty involves the excision of enough bone to create a gap at which movement can occur. In an interposition arthroplasty a biological or artificial barrier is placed between the two bony surfaces. In a total arthroplasty both joint surfaces are replaced by *prostheses; in a hemiarthroplasty, performed for some fractures of the hip and shoulder, only one end of a joint is replaced.... arthroplasty
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