While hip and knee replacement are commonly-performed joint replacement surgeries, wrist replacement is more complicated and less common. Therefore, it is best performed by an expert hand surgeon who has special training in this procedure. It is most often performed on people suffering from painful arthritis and for whom other treatment options no longer provide relief. This procedure involves replacement of the damaged wrist with an implant made of metal and surgical plastic. Unlike most hip and knee replacement surgeries, wrist replacement can often be performed in an outpatient setting. The time for full recovery is generally six to eight weeks.