What is a Knee Replacement Surgery?
Knee Replacement Surgery, also known as total knee replacement or knee arthroplasty is a surgical procedure. When your knee is damaged by arthritis or injured which is making you unable to perform daily tasks like walking then your doctor may suggest you for knee replacement.
When non-surgical methods like physiotherapy, medications or injections cannot help you in knee pain management then you should consider knee replacement surgery as one of the best option. This surgery may give you relieve from the unbearable knee pain, replacement of knee may also help you in performing simple tasks which you were not able to perform before.
Disease like osteoarthritis is one of the most common reasons of knee pain or disability, this disease mostly affects middle-aged and old people. While there different types of knee replacement surgery, total knee replacement surgery is common amongst others. This surgery is often recommended in advanced stage. Knee replacement surgery is the most effective if performed on right time,
Before going for this surgery, you should know the need, benefit and complications of this surgery.
When You Need a Knee Replacement Surgery?
Your doctor may recommend you to go for knee replacement surgery when other non-surgical method fails to relieve you from the pain.
Some conditions that may require knee replacement surgery are mentioned below:
- Persistent pain in Knee Joints.
- Stiffness with limited range of motion.
- Bone Diseases like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis.
- Swelling and muscle weakness in knee joints.
- Chronic inflammation in joints.
- Knock knees or knee deformity.
- Knee injury.
Types of Knee Replacement Surgery
There are four types of knee replacement surgeries
Total Knee Replacement Surgery: This surgery is one of the common knee surgeries, In this surgery your surgeon will replace both sides of knee joints, this surgery may also involve replacement of under-surface of kneecap (patella) with artificial part made of plastic. This kind of knee surgery will usually last between 1 and 3 hours.
Partial Knee Replacement Surgery: PKR surgery is performed with smaller incisions as its only replace one side of knee joint, Benefit of smaller incisions are fewer chances of infection and lower blood loss, this surgery is suitable for patient with damaged in one, side of knee only.
Kneecap Replacement Surgery:this surgery is performed for replacing the damage knee cap, a knee replacement surgery is also known as patellofemoral replacement or patellofemoral joint arthroplasty.
Revision Knee Replacement Surgery:this surgery is performed on patient who previously had totally knee replacement surgery for replacement of prosthetic implants, a new prosthesis is placed in place of original one.
Benefits and Risks of Knee Replacement Surgery?
- Relief from chronic knee pain.
- This surgery helps you by improving mobility.
- One can perform normal activities like before.