Knee Replacement Treatment

Knee pain is one of the most common complaints that orthopedic doctors encounter, especially in the case of the elderly or the extremely active. In some cases, where the knee joint has degenerated to the point where bone is scraping on bone and there is no relief from any other medical or non-medical option, then knee replacement will be discussed. While a huge and complex operation, knee replacement surgery is actually quite common now, and in most cases, has an excellent outcome.

Significance

• The significance of knee replacement treatment is that it takes a joint, which has degenerated to the point of causing terrible pain in everyday activity, and replaces the diseased material with man-made components. The prosthetic is made to fit the individual human body by using MRI imagery and X-Rays, and will be shaped and inserted to take the place of the defective joint. The knee is the largest and most complex joint in the human body, and when it fails, or is diseased to the point where it is non-functional, everyday activities such as climbing stairs, walking and standing are affected. The quality of life of a patient who has end-stage osteoarthritis of the knee can be vastly improved with knee replacement surgery.

Types

• There are several types of knee replacement treatments, and what type is performed will vary from patient to patient. The most common is a standard total knee replacement. This is where a 6 to 10 inch incision is made from just above the knee to just below the knee, and the joint exposed to the surgeon. The top of the lower leg bone (tibia) and the bottom of the upper leg bone (femur) are cut off, and the kneecap (patella) is removed. A prosthetic knee is them placed into the joint and cemented, hammered and pinned into place. The wound is closed and rehab begins upon waking. A newer method is minimally invasive knee replacement. The same process is done, but the surgeon makes a smaller incision and relies more on cameras and other technology to help him perform the surgery. A third type, rarer than the others, is partial knee replacement. This is where only the part of the knee that is diseased is removed and replaced.

Benefits

• The benefits of knee replacement surgery is the restoration of the quality of life. In most cases where knee replacement is needed, the patient has been suffering for some time, often years, and has had excruciating pain even during normal day-to-day activities. In many cases, they do not even realize how much pain they were in until they receive their new knee, then walk on it. Usually, the reaction is shock and amazement that there is no pain. While knee replacements cannot completely take the place of the natural knee, just the ability to function at a normal level without pain is a vast improvement for most knee replacement patients.

Time Frame

• Many patients wonder about the recovery and rehab process of a total knee replacement treatment, and this is definitely something that should be reviewed in detail with the surgeon. Rehab is tough, painful and long. But the results are usually astounding. While no two patients are identical, it can be said that the usual time frame before a knee replacement patient is up and back to normal activity is around 6 months. Some may take longer, some shorter. But with excellent physical therapy, determination and the will to make a full recovery--the rehab will not only make the knee stronger, but give the patient a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction as well.

Considerations

• Before you have knee replacement surgery, every other option should have been exhausted. In the case of injury, this may or may not be a choice. But in the case of osteoarthritis, knee replacement should not be the first choice. Losing weight, physical therapy, eating better and receiving treatments such as corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injections should all be tried first before you consent to have your knee replaced. Keep in mind, most people cannot have their knee replaced more than twice in a lifetime, and once you perform surgery on a knee, it has a tendency to need more surgeries. So weigh your options with your doctor and make an informed decision.