Why Might I Need Knee Replacement Surgery?
Knee replacement surgery could be an option for you if you have extensive damage to your knee that isn't repairable any other way.
The most likely reason for having this kind of knee damage is arthritis, the most common form of which is osteoarthritis. Arthritis causes damage to the joint linings and cartilage protecting your bones, and it typically worsens over time.
It's usually possible to manage the pain and stiffness arthritis can cause using a combination of physical therapy, lifestyle changes, and medication. You might also benefit from joint injections that reduce tissue inflammation or provide additional lubrication.
In time, as your arthritis progresses, these treatments might stop working. You could also suffer traumatic knee injuries following a fall or auto accident that shatters the bones in your knees. In either case, knee replacement surgery could be the answer.
What Type of Knee Replacement Surgery Might I Need?
There are three types of knee replacement surgery:
- Total Knee Replacement:Â In this procedure, also known as total knee arthroplasty, your surgeon removes the damaged cartilage and the ends of the bones that make up your knee joint. They replace the damaged tissues with artificial components designed to mimic the function of your natural knee as close as possible.
- Partial Knee Replacement:Â If any parts of your knee joints are strong enough to save, the Beaufort Orthopaedic Sports & Spine team retains them, just replacing the badly damaged parts. This approach has advantages, but most patients' knee bones are beyond saving, so partial knee replacement is less common than total knee replacement.
- Revision Knee Replacement:Â Artificial knees generally last, but they can occasionally go wrong. Revision surgery is the name for procedures where your provider fixes or replaces damaged or worn components from a previous knee replacement.
How is Knee Replacement Surgery Performed?
To perform knee replacement surgery, your provider takes out any damaged cartilage and the ends of your knee bones. They might also resurface your patella (kneecap) by replacing the cartilage on the back of your patella with an artificial component.Â
They then insert a spacer between the artificial ends of your bones to allow natural joint function.
Whenever possible, the Beaufort Orthopaedic Sports & Spine team uses a minimally invasive arthroscopic approach to keep tissue damage to a minimum and promote faster healing. You should be able to leave the same day as your knee replacement operation.
If your knees are causing chronic pain and nothing seems to help, talk to the experts at Beaufort Orthopaedic Sports & Spine about knee replacement. Call today or book your appointment online.
