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Home Anatomy Arthritis Partial Knee Replacement Total Knee Replacement Less Invasive Total Knee What to Expect on Surgery Day Post Operative Care Knee Rehabilitation Non-Surgical Alternatives Life After Knee Replacement |
Total Knee Replacement
Total knee replacement treats painful knees by eliminating bone-on-bone contact. Conceptually, the painful arthritic surfaces are replaced with highly polished metal and plastic. Smooth caps are permanently secured to the ends of the knee bones to allow the joint to glide comfortably. The remaining normal bone, ligaments, and muscle are preserved. The operation generally takes an hour. In the end, a virtually pain-free gliding surface is restored. Recovery today occurs much more quickly. Progress in postoperative recuperation is credited to several technical changes in the surgery. Most obvious to patients is a major reduction in the skin incision. Depending on the size of a patient and a patient's knee, surgeons can shrink the length of the incision by up to a third or a half of the classic incision's length. Below the skin, well-established dissection techniques and miniaturized instrumentation have been modified to reduce muscle and tendon trauma. Rather than cutting the muscle and tendon in half, surgeons now preserve the muscle by pushing it to the side. The muscle starts working again right after surgery, and the patient starts walking the same day. Clearly, not cutting the muscle has a direct and immediate benefit. Clinical studies demonstrate not only a faster return of muscle function, but also a lasting improvement in range of motion. Currently, most healthy patients will leave the hospital in 2 to 3 days with only a cane. The vast majority will be independent enough to go directly home. Major advances in biomaterials may now allow these patients to pursue work or recreation over a longer term. The materials are designed to be exceptionally durable. For patients who require even greater knee flexion for social, cultural or religious reasons, modern "High Flexion" implants will allow the knee to safely bend up to 155 degrees. New developments now allow specific implant sizing for women are with more narrow bone.
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