Osteoarthritis is the primary cause of deformity and disability of the knee joint. It is the process of wear and tear of the articular cartilage, the connective tissue within the joint.

The cartilage prevents the scraping of two bones, and it acts as the shock absorber. When it gets damaged, the movements no longer remain subtle and smooth.

Thinned cartilage also causes inflammation and stiffness of the joint and the movements become restricted.

Statistics indicate that almost one-third of the people above 50 years are affected by it.

Partial knee replacement surgery, a popular surgical remedy

As the name indicates, in the partial knee replacement surgery only the damaged knee cartilage is replaced with prosthesis.

Both medial and lateral types of osteoarthritis can be treated by using this method. Medial means the portion of a knee which is nearer to the other knee. In the majority of the cases, the medial portion gets degenerated.

Lateral means the portion which is farther to the other knee.

After weighing it on different parameters he decides whether to choose the surgery or not.

Key aspects that decide whether you are the right candidate for it

• ·      Does the knee pain persist in spite of taking anti-inflammatory medicines and keeping the ideal weight?
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•        What is the exact area of pain?
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• ·         How much is the stability of the knee and how much is the range of motion?
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• ·         Is the anterior ligament is intact, and the range of motion is satisfactory?
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• ·         Is the knee stable and the damage has happened to only one compartment?
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• ·         What is the angle of deformity?

In most of the cases, doctors take X-Ray image to check the exact condition. However, it is not possible to determine it correctly unless doctors open the knee for correction.

Gone are the days when the knee replacement surgery was considered a procedure for people above 60 years. Nowadays, even young patients are also considered for it.

The surgery

When you are taken to the operation table for a knee replacement surgery a small incision is made on the affected compartment of the knee. Doctors move the supporting structure of the knee and take out the damaged bone tissues and cartilage. It is done for both femur and tibia.

Surgeons prepare these surfaces for replacement of the damaged cartilage with prosthesis components. They are made of metal and plastic.

The artificial components are fixed with the knee joints using special cement. After restoring the surrounding tissues and structures to the anatomic position, the incision is closed.

Minimally invasive knee replacement

Though partial knee replacement relieves pain and restores mobility, many patients hesitate to undergo the surgery due to the fear of pain and other side-effects.

Modern pain management techniques and minimally invasive surgeries make it pretty simple and risk-free.  They not only minimize the tissue trauma but reduce the postoperative troubles as well.

Patients get recover fast, and they are relieved from the hospital early. The need for physiotherapy is also quite less in this surgery.

In less invasive surgery, small incisions are made, and the damages cartilage is replaced with the artificial cartilage.

Some people are advised to go for the option of installing the unispacer. It is a device that is inserted in the diseased knee joint. This device acts as a shim that separated the damaged surface.

Conclusion

Because of high success rate, partial knee replacement surgery (both invasive and non-invasive) is quite popular today.  Proper exercise and physiotherapy recovers the patient quickly. Every year thousands of people get benefited by it and live the normal life but for that consult to the best

Partial Knee Replacement surgeon