Knee Replacement
Knee replacement surgery is also known as arthroplasty. Depending on the condition and severity, patients may be offered either total or unicompartmental (partial) knee replacement surgery.
You may require one of these procedures if you experience severe pain and stiffness in your knee. Knee replacement surgery sets out to resurface the affected areas of the knee joint and to minimise knee discomfort, which is resistant to other treatment forms. During this operation, the diseased part of the knee joint is replaced. Knee replacements are offered to patients who have symptomatic knee joints that affect their quality of life. In this case, symptoms are commonly caused by inflammatory and degenerative joint disease.
How do you get arthritis in the knee?
Joint arthritis in the knee joint occurs when the cartilage is damaged, causing it to break down. Arthritis can be caused by a number of different pathologies, including:
Osteoarthritis – general wear-and-tear in which the cushioning between joints starts withering away. This is primarily due to old age but can also be found in younger patients who have had multiple or severe knee injuries in the past.
Rheumatoid arthritis – occurs when your body's immune system attacks your healthy tissue, breaking down the lining of your joints and causing permanent damage.
Gout – a form of arthritis in which uric acid forms crystals in your joints, causing painful joint inflammation.
Psoriatic arthritis – is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that attacks connective tissue where tendons and ligaments attach to your bone.
What other options are available before arthroplasty?
There are various treatments available before a knee replacement. Non-surgical treatments include medications, physical therapy, assistive walking devices, injections and weight loss. There is also a surgery that can be performed before a knee replacement: an osteotomy. Osteotomy is a procedure in which the leg is realigned in order to take pressure off the affected area. Osteotomy is used to improve knee symptoms in younger patients where the alignment of the knee contributes to the pathology and is likely to lead to ongoing and worsening symptoms.
FAQ
How long does a knee replacement surgery take?
Depending on the knee replacement surgery you are undergoing, surgery should take between one and three hours for Dr Street to complete.
How often should you see your orthopaedic surgeon after a knee replacement surgery?
You will need to follow up with your orthopaedic surgeon more regularly within the first year, but then you should have routine visits yearly to keep track of the success of the procedure.
How long does it take to recover from a knee replacement surgery?
You can resume light activities within twelve weeks of your procedure, but it may take a year to recover fully
