Knee replacement is a kind of arthroplasty that means “surgical repair of a joint” and it involves the surgical replacement and reconstruction of degenerated joints, using prosthetics or artificial body parts.

When the articular cartilage of the knee is worn out or damaged, then instead of sliding over each other, the bones crush and rub each other. This makes the knee hard to move and painful.

The surgeon caps the ends of the bones that form the knee joint with plastic or metal components or implants a prosthetic that is shaped as a joint. With a prosthetic, the patient feels less pain and the knee will move properly.

Knee replacement surgery can help patients whose knee (or knees) has degenerated due to rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or post-traumatic arthritis when an injury has damaged the knee.

Type of knee replacement surgery

Knee replacement can be partial or total.

Total Knee Replacement (TKR)

Total knee replacement surgery is the replacement of both sides of the knee joint.

The surgery lasts between 1 to 3 hours. The individual will feel less pain and better mobility but there will be scar tissue, which can make it difficult to bend and move the knees.

Partial knee replacement (PKR)

Partial replacement includes the replacement of only one side of the knee joint. In this procedure, less bone is removed, so a smaller incision is needed but it does not last as long as a total replacement surgery.

Partial knee replacement is suitable for people whose only one part of the knee is damaged.

The recovery period and hospital stay are normally shorter as compare to the total knee replacement surgery.

What is the need for knee replacement surgery?

The three common reasons for knee replacement surgery are:

Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is related to age and caused by the normal wear and tear of the knee joint. It mostly affects the patients of age above 50 years but younger people may have it.

Osteoarthritis is caused by breakdown, inflammation and the eventual and gradual loss of cartilage in the joints. Over time, the cartilage wears down and the bones start rubbing together. To compensate, the bones may grow thicker but this results in more friction that increases the pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis: It is also called inflammatory arthritis; the membrane around the knee joint becomes inflamed and thick. Chronic inflammation damages the cartilage, causing stiffness and soreness.

Post-traumatic arthritis: Post-traumatic arthritis is the result of a severe knee injury. Breaking of the bones around the knee or tearing up the ligaments affects the knee cartilage.

Who might need a knee replacement?

Knee surgery is a suitable option for patients who experience:

Severe knee pain or stiffness that prevents them from doing everyday tasks and activities such as going upstairs, walking, getting up from a chair and getting in and out of cars.
Moderate but continuous knee pain that continues even while resting or sleeping
Chronic knee swelling and inflammation that does not improve after resting or taking medications
Knee deformity, when there is a noticeable arch on the outside or inside of the knee
Depression, resulting from the inability to carry out social or daily activities.
Test and diagnosis

A complete physical examination of the patient as well as several diagnostic tests including blood tests will be done.
Medical history (such as hemophilia, diabetes, blood pressure and pregnancy), medications and drug allergies if any, should be informed to the doctor before the surgery.
The patient is advised to avoid smoking for as long as possible before the surgical procedure.
Treatment Procedure for Knee Replacement

Knee Replacement surgery procedure

Knee replacement surgery lasts up to 2-3 hours.

An intravenous (IV) line is started in your hand or arm & a urinary catheter is inserted.
The skin over the surgical site will be cleansed with an antiseptic solution.
The doctor makes an incision in the knee area.
Then, the surgeon removes the damaged knee joint surface and resurface it with the prosthesis.
The prosthesis for the knee is made up of metal and plastic. However, a cemented prosthesis is the most common type of artificial knee prosthesis; it attaches to the bone with surgical cement.
The prosthesis is mostly comprised of 3 components: the tibial component (to resurface the top of the shin or tibia bone), the femoral component (to resurface the end of the thigh bone and the patellar component (to resurface the kneecap bottom that rubs against the thigh bone).
The incision will be closed with surgical staples or stitches & a drain may be placed in the incision site to remove the fluid.
A sterile bandage or dressing will be applied.
After the Knee Replacement surgery

After the surgery, the patient is kept in the recovery room for a few hours.
The patient will be hospitalised for 4-6 days.
Most people recover within 12 months after the surgery but the recovery time will differ depending on the age and overall health.