Banner Health orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joshua Hustedt has developed a new technique to help those suffering from chronic joint pain – especially those who aren’t finding relief through traditional replacement surgery.
With the help of the University of Arizona, Hustedt developed clinical trials for the procedure – which is called Joint Denervation – to help those with wrist problems. The trials were successful and the technique was expanded to assist with knee pain.
Hustedt explained that while doctors usually recommend joint replacement, not everyone can undergo the procedure. For them, his new technique can offer relief.
“In the United States right now, if you have deep knee pain, you’re told you can get a cortisone shot or you can get a knee replacement, “ Hustedt said. “Those are very different options; not everybody qualifies to get a knee replacement.”
Those over a certain weight or with specific blood conditions aren’t eligible, and Hustedt said that there are a large number of people in the U.S. that fall into that category as obesity, chronic diseases and aging have become deciding factors.
“On top of that, with people that get a knee replacement…it doesn’t necessarily mean that the pain goes away,” he said.
With Joint Denervation, surgeons operate on the affected area by blocking pain signals. Instead of replacing a joint because it has pain, the doctors target the nerves. They then cut those nerves and transfer them to the surrounding muscle. The nerve grows into the muscle, and what was once a sensory nerve becomes a motor nerve.
While underlying conditions like arthritis aren’t cured, patients have been shown to not suffer from pain anymore.
“It’s like a short circuit,” Hustedt said. “By interrupting that pain signal between the joint and the brain, we convince the body that there’s no pain signal anymore.”
Hustedt published his findings in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Medical Journal and has already treated hundreds of patients who are no longer suffering.
“It’s been wonderful,” he said. “I went to medical school to help others, and I feel like this will make a big difference worldwide.”
Hustedt also founded the Joint Denervation Consortium, where he partners with internationally based surgeons to help make the practice accessible for people in parts of the world where replacement isn’t an option.
When he’s not performing or developing surgical techniques, Hustedt enjoys spending time with his family and appreciating the outdoors.
“I have three kids – two girls and a boy,” he said. “Two of them go to Hopi. I enjoy volunteering in the community. I’m a soccer coach for our girls on the Hopi team and coach with Arcadia Little League. My family also enjoys going to the lake, water skiing, mountain biking, and snow skiing.”
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