Knee Replacement Specialist

What is a knee replacement?

Knee replacement is a surgical procedure you might require when you have knee pain that isn’t improving using other, more conservative treatments.

The most common reason for requiring knee replacement is arthritis. Although arthritis comes in multiple forms, the one that causes a problem for most people is osteoarthritis. This is a wear and tear disorder that develops from years of everyday use of your joints.

Over the years, the cartilage covering the ends of your bones wears down. This exposes the bones, and they start rubbing against each other. Inflammation then sets in, followed by pain, swelling, and joint stiffness.

Initial treatments for osteoarthritis include:

• Physical therapy
• Medications
• Joint injections
• Regenerative medicine

Although these treatments are usually very effective in relieving pain and improving joint function, in time, they might not work so well. This is because the degeneration of your joints has become so bad that knee replacement is the only way of resolving your symptoms.

Would I need a total or partial knee replacement?

Whether you require a total or partial knee replacement depends on the health of your knees.

Total knee replacement

Total knee replacement surgery involves replacing the worn-out joint surfaces in your knee with artificial components. This approach is best when all the parts of your knee joint have damage that is beyond repair. The result is a new knee joint that works in a very similar way to your original, healthy knee.

A total knee replacement has three components. There’s a metal cap that goes over the end of your femur (thigh bone), a stemmed metal component with a plastic plate that fits over the top of your tibia (shin bone), and a dome-shaped plastic component that fits on your patella (knee cap).

Partial knee replacement

Some patients have one or two parts of their knee joints that are still healthy enough to keep. In this case, your provider at Western Orthopaedics, P.C., can replace the sections that are badly damaged, and smooth off or shape your bones to fit with the new components.

Partial knee replacement is less common when you have arthritis because all three joint surfaces tend to be affected by the condition.

What is revision total knee replacement?

Revision total knee replacement is a more complicated procedure that you might need to have if anything goes wrong with an existing knee replacement.

Generally, total and partial knee replacement surgeries are one of the most successful operations you can have. However, it’s possible for the artificial parts to go wrong, causing joint problems with your replacement knee. You should contact Western Orthopaedics, P.C., if you have a replacement knee and you’re experiencing issues such as:

• Stiffness
• Instability
• Swelling
• Pain

Using revision total knee replacement, your provider can replace any faulty artificial components and ensure your knee is healthy, resolving the problem.

If you’re a good candidate for the procedure, knee replacement could enable you to live a far more active life and relieve you from chronic knee pain.

Call Western Orthopaedics, P.C., today to find out more or request an appointment online.