Knee Replacement Surgery for Women

The Arthritis Foundation reports that women receive nearly two-thirds of the knee replacement surgeries in the United States. The procedure is a common surgery that involves putting in a prosthetic piece to replace a worn or injured knee, yet women also tend to postpone knee replacement surgeries until they become more complicated. By waiting until they can no longer stand the pain, women are at risk for additional complications that can affect their mobility permanently.

Age

• Osteoporosis in women over 50 is one of the leading causes of knee problems.

Lifestyle

• Many women adjust their activities instead of getting a knee replacement and many doctors support this treatment. But with new surgical methods that increase the success of the procedures, women should consider surgery at the onset of pain instead of waiting in order to maintain their current activity levels.

Complications

• With proper physical therapy following surgery, most women return to the same or better levels of activities with few restrictions.

Cosmetics

• Many women are concerned about scarring from the surgery, but skin grafts can easily repair unhealed scars, leaving little or no lasting marks from the procedure.

Size

• Women's anatomies are smaller than men's and they often require custom-made knee replacement parts to fit properly. Make sure your doctor measures you for a good fit.