Knee Replacement
Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Total knee arthroplasty, more commonly known as knee replacement, is a surgical procedure in which artificial components replace a badly damaged knee joint’s natural bone and cartilage. More than half a million people undergo this type of surgery every year. Total knee replacement surgery is a safe and effective way to relieve severe knee pain resulting from arthritis and other degenerative joint diseases.
Why Knee Replacement Surgery?
Knee osteoarthritis, or “wear-and-tear” arthritis, is a deterioration of the knee joint’s cartilage lining. When arthritis becomes severe and the cartilage completely wears out, the rough “bone-on-bone” joint surfaces cause pain and inflammation.
Total knee replacement is a resurfacing of the joint surfaces with synthetic metal and plastic. Surgeons recommend total knee replacement for patients with severe arthritis that involves the majority of the knee joint surfaces. Unicompartmental, or partial knee replacement, is a resurfacing of only a portion of the knee surfaces. Surgeons may also recommend partial knee replacement for patients with severe arthritis that only involves a limited part of the knee.
Symptoms & Causes
Symptoms:
Due to the degeneration of the knee joint, activity for the patient can cause pain, while being at rest can also trigger pain depending on the degeneration level. Activities such as moving on stairs, walking distances, and getting up from low seats can aggravate the issue. Stiffness and swelling around the knee are also commonly cited symptoms experienced by our patients.
Causes:
Knee joints begin to degenerate for several different reasons, such as arthritis, injury, or general wear and tear that happens as we age. In particular, arthritis can run in families and develop due to wear and tear, with previous injuries and obesity also identified as contributing to its development.
Knee Replacement Recovery
Recovery from total knee replacement surgery includes rest followed by physical therapy. Exercises help patients regain range of motion and strengthen the new knee while learning to walk without pain.
To begin the journey toward pain-free activity, contact KSF Orthopaedic Center, P.A. Our caring, compassionate staff can answer your knee replacement questions and will assist you with appointment scheduling and insurance coverage issues. Learn more about knee replacement here.