Knee is considered to be one of the most important joint in the body as it plays a leading role in bearing the body weight. Knee is the most common joint that gets worn out with age. Patients with diseases such as osteoarthritis, hemophilia, gout, rheumatoid arthritis etc. may also require knee replacement. When the knee joints get damaged, it is necessary to be replaced.
The common symptoms that patients face are
- Severe knee pain restricting day to day activities like walking, climbing stairs, using the commode etc.
- Night pains disturbing your sleep.
- Deformity in knees.
- Restricted knee bending and stiffness.
- Failure of other treatments modalities like physiotherapy and medications.
The realistic results that the patient can hope to achieve following a knee replacement surgery are
- Significant pain relief
- Improved ambulatory status
- Straighter knee free from deformity
- Bending upto 100 degrees (Can go upto 130degrees)
- Active lifestyle
Types of Knee Replacement are broadly categorized into two types.
- Partial knee replacement(Unicondylar): As the name indicates, only a part of the knee which is worn out is replaced. The knee is divided into three compartments. They are the medial compartment (the inner side of the knee), the lateral compartment (the outer part of the knee) and the patellofemoral compartment (the front of the knee between kneecap and thighbone).When a single compartment alone are affected, this surgery is indicated.
- Total knee replacement: Total joint arthroplasty is indicated when all compartments in the knee are worn out. This is the most commonly done surgery and has good results in terms of pain and activity level.
