A total knee replacement is a surgical procedure whereby the diseased knee joint is replaced with artificial material. The knee is a hinge joint which provides motion at the point where the thigh meets the lower leg. The thighbone (or femur) abuts the large bone of the lower leg (tibia) at the knee joint. During a total knee replacement, the end of the femur bone is removed and replaced with a metal shell. The end of the lower leg bone (tibia) is also removed and replaced with a channeled plastic piece with a metal stem. Depending on the condition of the kneecap portion of the knee joint, a plastic "button" may also be added under the kneecap surface. The artificial components of a total knee replacement are referred to as the prosthesis.
The posterior cruciate ligament is a tissue that normally stabilizes each side of the knee joint so that the lower leg cannot slide backward in relation to the thighbone. In total knee replacement surgery, this ligament is either retained, sacrificed, or substituted by a polyethylene post. Each of these various designs of total knee replacement has its benefits and risks.
Your knee joint is made up by the lower end of your thigh bone (femur) and the upper end of your shin bone (tibia). These normally glide over each other easily because they are covered by smooth cartilage. If your cartilage is damaged by injury or worn away by arthritis, it can make your joint painful and stiff . A new knee joint will usually improve your mobility and reduce pain, although your new knee won’t be able to bend quite as far as a normal knee joint.
Depending on the condition of your knee joint, you may need to have part, or all, of your knee joint replaced. If you have arthritis just in one area of your knee joint, usually the inside part of the joint called the medial compartment, you may be offered a partial knee replacement (called a unicondylar knee replacement). However, a total knee replacement is more common. Artificial knee parts are almost always made of metal (on the femur side) and plastic (on the tibia side) and a knee replacement can last for up to 20 years.
There are two main types of surgery, depending on the condition of the knee:
• Partial (half) Knee Replacement (PKR) – only one side of your joint is replaced in a smaller operation with a shorter hospital stay and recovery period
When is knee replacement surgery recommended ?
Knee surgery is recommended for older people, although adults or teenagers of any age can be candidates for the procedure, since they are physically active and will more rapidly wear the joint out. The weight, gender, or age of the person is never a factor when considering knee replacement surgery. When considering the option of knee replacement surgery, doctors take into account a number of symptoms:
• Severe knee pain or stiffness: Do symptoms seriously undermine the patient's ability to carry out everyday tasks and activities, such as walking, going upstairs, getting in and out of cars, getting up from a chair, etc?
• Moderate but continuous knee pain: Is pain present while sleeping or resting?
• Chronic knee inflammation and swelling: Does the swelling not improve after taking medications or resting? Do drugs cause unpleasant side effects?
• Knee deformity: Is there is a noticeable arch in the inside or outside of the knee?
• Nothing else worked: The doctor has prescribed medications and physical therapy without any substantial improvement.
Most patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery want to know when they’ll be able to return to their normal life. Questions about “recovery time” are common. There are many factors that can affect recovery time, but typically patients can return to normal life activities within 3 to 6 months.
To be more specific we should examine the difference between “short-term recovery” and “long-term recovery” – which are terms you may hear when talking with orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, nurses and other health care providers. Short-term recovery requires the patient to walk with minimal aid or no aid and to give up major pain medications in favor of over-the-counter pain relief. This generally occurs within twelve weeks after surgery. Long-term recovery is what you’re talking about when you talk about returning to work and normal life activities. Your doctors and therapists will look for complete healing of surgical wounds and internal soft tissues in addition to the resumption of normal daily life.
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