Facts You Should Know About Knee Replacement Surgery

If you are suffering from Knee pain, then there could be a number of reasons for it, such as arthritis, injury, or any other disease. The three large bones, femur, tibia, and patella are connected together to form the knee joint, hence, it is also known as the biggest joint in the body.

What is Knee Replacement Surgery?

Knee Replacement Surgery, also known as knee arthroplasty involves the surgical reconstruction and replacement of damaged, worn out and diseased cartilage and bone in the knee joint using artificial parts made from an alloy of cobalt or titanium and a plastic compound called polyethylene. 

Depending upon the damage of the knee joint, the doctor may suggest for you to undergo either a total knee replacement surgery or partial knee replacement surgery. In Total Knee Replacement, both sides of the knee joint are replaced with the prosthetics whereas in Partial Knee Replacement, only damaged portion of one of the parts is replaced with the prosthetics.

Who needs a Total Knee Replacement and Why?

Knee Replacement surgery is suggested for patients who experience severe knee pain and find it difficult to perform everyday activities such as walking and climbing stairs. Patients with chronic knee inflammation and swelling that do not get better even after taking medicine and acquiring required rest are advised to undergo total knee replacement surgery.

The three most common types of arthritis that affect your knee joint are:

1). Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. The protective tissue (cartilages) at the end of the bones is worn down and this situation worsens over time. The most common symptoms of this disease are joint pain in the hands, neck, wrist, lower back, knees, and hips. It can be treated with pain-reducing medications, exercise, and weight loss, in case a person is overweight.

2). Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints. The joint damage that is caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) usually happens on both sides of the body. This is one of the ways in which doctors are able to distinguish RA from other kinds of arthritis. It is a long-term or chronic disease, marked by symptoms of inflammation, pain, and swelling in the joints.

 3). Post-Traumatic arthritis: This type of arthritis is generally developed due to a severe knee injury, where the bones around the knee breaks or the ligaments are torn which in turn affects the cartilage of the knee.

Types of Knee Replacement Surgery

There are two types of knee replacement surgeries depending on the damage on the knee joint:

1). Total Knee Replacement (TKR): In total knee replacement surgery, the whole knee is replaced with the prosthetics, meaning all the three compartments of the knee, i.e., the medial compartment (the inside aspect of the knee), the lateral compartment (outside of the knee), and the patellofemoral compartment (in the front of the knee) are damaged due to arthritis.

2). Partial Knee Replacement (PKR): In partial knee replacement, only the affected compartment of the knee is replaced with the prosthetics.

Benefits of Knee Replacement Surgery

Some of the benefits of knee replacement surgery are as listed below:

1). Less blood loss.

2). Improved range of motion in the joints.

3). Relief from joint pain.

4). It becomes easier to perform daily activities, such as walking and climbing stairs. 

Risks involved with Knee Replacement Surgery

Some of the risks and complications involved with the knee replacement surgery are mentioned below:

1). Infection in the artificial joint.

2). Neurovascular damage.

3). Failure to relieve the knee pain even after the surgery.

4). Loss of the leg due to blood clotting.

Knee Replacement Surgery is generally a very successful procedure but patients should consider all the risks involved with the surgery before making the decision to undergo any surgery.