Hip, Knee, and Shoulder Joint Replacement
Living with joint pain can mean giving up the things you love, from walking without discomfort and keeping up with your grandkids to simply getting a good night’s sleep. When arthritis, injury, or years of wear finally take their toll, joint replacement can give you your life back. Our joint replacement surgeons perform hip, knee, and shoulder replacements using both traditional and robotic-assisted techniques, and we're with you at every step, from your first consultation through your recovery.
As a community-based health system, our joint replacement team gets to know you, not just your X-rays. Penn Highlands was the first health system in Northwestern and Central Pennsylvania to offer robotic-assisted joint replacement surgery, and we back that technology with a full program of pre-surgical education and coordinated recovery support.
What to Expect Before and After Surgery
Before your procedure, you'll go through pre-surgical education, including guidebooks and classes for you and anyone helping care for you afterward, along with pre-surgical physical therapy or strengthening exercises when appropriate. Depending on your situation, your surgeon may also talk with you about reducing opioid use beforehand, since prior use can affect how well pain medication works after surgery, as well as steps like quitting smoking or managing blood sugar to lower infection risk.
Our pre-surgical team will also confirm any needed clearances, such as from your primary care provider, in the weeks leading up to your surgery date, and you'll get a call the day before to confirm your arrival time.
After surgery, you'll typically spend time in a dedicated joint replacement unit, generally 24 to 48 hours for hip replacement and one to three days for knee replacement, with physical therapy starting the same day or the next day to get you moving as soon as it's safe. If you're going home with new prescriptions, they can be sent directly to Penn Highlands Pharmacy so they're ready when you are.
Recovery timelines vary by procedure. After hip replacement, most patients use a walker or crutches for about four weeks, can typically drive again in two to three weeks, and can return to activities like golf or extended walking in ten to twelve weeks; higher-impact activities like singles tennis or skiing generally aren't recommended with an artificial hip. After knee replacement, expect a similar few weeks with a walker or crutches, driving clearance around two to three weeks, and a return to activities like golf around ten to twelve weeks. After shoulder replacement, your arm will be in a sling for about two to four weeks, with gentle exercises starting almost immediately and outpatient physical therapy continuing as you regain strength and motion.
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Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBois COE
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Hip and Knee Orthopedic Surgery
Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Connellsville
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Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - Rostraver Township
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Penn Highlands Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - DuBois
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Are You Suffering From Joint Pain?
Joint Replacement Care, Close to Home
Penn Highlands Healthcare offers joint replacement at orthopedic locations across Northwestern/Central and Southwestern Pennsylvania, including Charleroi, Connellsville, DuBois, Philipsburg, Rostraver Township, St. Marys, State College and Uniontown. Wherever you start, your care begins with the most conservative treatment that makes sense for your condition.
When surgery is the right call, our orthopedic surgeons provide hip, knee and shoulder replacement. Robotic-assisted Mako SmartRobotics™ joint replacement is available at Penn Highlands Clearfield and Penn Highlands DuBois. From your first consultation through physical therapy and recovery, you'll have a team guiding each step.
One Coordinated Visit at Penn Highlands State College
At our Penn Highlands State College location, much of the pre-surgical process comes together in a single visit rather than several. Your pre-op appointment, same-day MRI, and pre-op X-rays and imaging can typically all be handled together, and post-surgical medications can be sent ahead so they're ready when you get home.
Many other providers schedule imaging, consultations, and paperwork across separate appointments on separate days. Our patients, especially older patients getting ready for a hip or knee replacement, tend to appreciate having one visit to plan around instead of several.
Hip Replacement Surgery
Hip pain from arthritis, age-related wear, or years of overuse can wear down the joint's natural cushioning until it's bone against bone, which is what causes the pain and stiffness. Hip replacement becomes worth considering when that pain is severely limiting your daily activities and conservative treatments, like exercise, physical therapy, and medication, haven't provided enough relief. But there's no single right time, as it depends on how much the joint has been affected, your pain level, your activity level, and your overall health.
We offer a few approaches depending on your situation. Traditional hip replacement resurfaces the ball and socket with new components, often through an anterior approach that uses a smaller incision and disrupts less muscle. Hip resurfacing reshapes the natural femoral head rather than removing it entirely, which preserves more of your own bone and can be a good fit for younger, more active patients. For eligible patients, we also offer a minimally invasive, Mako robotic-assisted option.
Knee Replacement Surgery
Knee replacement is one of the most common procedures our orthopedic surgeons perform, addressing pain from cartilage wear, past injury, or arthritis that's progressed to bone-on-bone contact. We typically recommend it once knee pain or instability is seriously limiting your daily life and conservative treatment, like exercise, physical therapy, and medication, hasn't given you enough relief. Timing matters: too early, and we may be replacing a joint that still had some life left in it; too late, and recovery can be harder.
A total knee replacement removes damaged cartilage and bone from the thigh and shin sides of the joint, replacing them with metal components and a plastic spacer, sometimes with a partial kneecap replacement as well; the procedure typically takes about two to three hours. When only one part of the knee is affected, a partial knee replacement may be an option instead. For eligible patients, our Mako robotic-assisted system can mean smaller incisions, less blood loss, and more of your healthy bone protected.
Shoulder Replacement Surgery
Shoulder pain from arthritis, rotator cuff problems, or shoulder impingement, often made worse by repetitive overhead motion from work, golf, tennis, or swimming, can make everyday things like reaching, dressing, and sleeping difficult. We start with conservative treatment: rest, heat and cold therapy, medication, cortisone injections, ultrasound, and physical therapy. When those approaches aren't providing enough relief and pain is seriously affecting your function or sleep, shoulder replacement becomes a reasonable option to discuss.
The procedure resurfaces the ball and socket of the shoulder joint, replacing the head of the upper arm bone with a metal component and relining the socket, which eliminates the bone-on-bone contact causing most shoulder pain.
Robotic-Assisted Joint Replacement (Mako)
For eligible hip and knee replacements, our surgeons use the Mako robotic-assisted system, which starts with a CT scan that builds a 3D model of your unique anatomy. Your surgeon uses that model to plan your procedure in detail before ever making an incision, which is the idea behind Mako's approach: know more, cut less.
Mako is available for total and partial knee replacement and total hip replacement through a minimally invasive approach. During surgery, the robotic arm uses haptic feedback technology to help keep your surgeon's movements within the planned boundaries, protecting healthy bone and surrounding tissue.
Mako doesn't perform surgery, make decisions, or move on its own. Your surgeon guides every step, stays in full control throughout the procedure, and adjusts the plan in real time if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
A total knee replacement typically takes about two to three hours, though your surgeon can give you a more specific estimate based on your individual case.
Surgery time varies depending on the specific procedure and your individual anatomy. Your surgeon will give you a time estimate specific to your case during your consultation.
Most patients use a walker or crutches for about four weeks, can typically resume driving within two to three weeks, and can return to activities like golf or extended walking within ten to twelve weeks. Higher-impact activities, like singles tennis or skiing, generally aren't recommended afterward.
Most patients spend one to three days in the hospital, with physical therapy starting within the first 24 hours. Expect a walker or crutches for the first few weeks, driving clearance around two to three weeks, and a return to activities like golf around ten to twelve weeks.
Your arm will typically be in a sling for about two to four weeks. Gentle exercises usually start right away, and outpatient physical therapy continues afterward to help you rebuild strength and range of motion.
Yes, joint replacement is a significant surgical procedure, but it's also one of the most well-established and successful orthopedic surgeries performed today, with most patients experiencing meaningful pain relief and improved mobility.
That depends on your specific insurance plan, and requirements can shift from one location to the next. We're happy to help you figure out what your plan requires before your first visit.
