Types of Knee Replacement Surgery

Knee replacement surgery is an option only for people whose knee joints are damaged to an extent that non-surgical treatments and cures are of no help. Usually the doctors will not allow a person to go for a knee replacement surgery unless all the treatments have been tried. This includes taking medicines and drugs, specific diet (in case of being overweight), and physical exercises. Many tests and diagnosis are done which includes x-rays, blood tests, urine test, full medical check up and an electrocardiogram. It is based on the reports that the doctors determine whether or not should you go for the surgery. If the doctors find that the knee joints have been severely damaged and cannot be treated through other methods of treatment other than operating a knee arthroplasty, which is another name for a knee replacement surgery, then only you would be advised to go for a surgery.

There are different types of knee replacement surgeries that are available as an option. Each type of surgery depends upon the condition of the knee joint. Your doctor may either go for a partial knee replacement surgery or a total knee replacement surgery. These are discussed in detail in the following paragraph, read on...

Different Types of Knee Replacements

There are different types of knee replacement surgeries that are done depending upon the condition of your knee. While older patients usually have to go for a total knee replacement surgery as the damage is more severe, younger patients may go for partial knee replacement surgery, if it is only a specific area of the knee that is damaged. Our knee has 3 main sections, the medial section, the lateral section and the patella. The knee joint comprises the ends of the femur; which is the thigh bone, and the tibia; which is the shin bone. These contain a cushioning cartilage in the end which prevents the bones from sudden shocks that can occur from constant movements of the legs. The cartilage that protects the end of the bones is known as the Hyaline Cartilage, and the cartilage between the bones that helps in absorbing shock and stabilizing the movement, is known as the meniscus. And then there is the patella, which is another name for the knee cap located at the center of the knee. Knowing these terms will help you understand the approaches used in different types of knee replacement surgeries mentioned below.

Unicompartmental Knee Replacement Surgery
Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is another name for partial knee replacement surgery. As the name suggests, this surgery involves partial replacement of the knee joint instead of a full replacement. This type of surgery is usually done in case of younger patients where the entire knee is not affected but only a small part of the knee joint is damaged. In case of osteoarthritis, the first point of damage occurs in the medial area of the knee. This is because the inner or the medial portion is the one that takes the maximum pressure and shock during knee movements. Therefore, if the rest of the areas are alright and the problem persists in one particular area only, then the inner damaged area is replaced with an artificial implant which serves the same purpose as that of the original part. For example, if the meniscus is damaged, then an artificial meniscus is replaced which is specially designed to perform the function like the original part does. The best part about this type of knee replacement surgery is that there is minimal trauma involved, and the incision too is pretty small. Usually the patients are allowed to leave the hospital the same or the next day itself. The recovery too is very quick and the patient may get back to the normal lifestyle within a week or two!

Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Unlike the partial knee replacement surgery, the total knee replacement surgery replaces the entire knee joint. This approach usually suits the elderly patients whose knee joints have been severely damaged completely due to wear and tear. Various artificial prostheses are used to replace the original meniscus and patella after removing the originally damaged parts. A total knee replacement surgery can have various different approaches depending on the individual case and preference. These are explained as under.

Constraint or Hinged Knee Replacement: The hinge knee replacement surgery is the most common knee replacement surgery. This surgery is usually done when the condition of the knee joint is extremely unstable and nonsupporting. This means that no other type of surgery can be done in this case due to the damaged ligaments of the knee. Which is why the surgeon links both the femoral and the tibial components of the knee using the hinge mechanism so that there is better support and stability.

Rotating Platform Knee Replacement: In the knee surgery using hinge replacements, the movement is limited to back and forth, however, in case of the rotating knee replacements the range of movement is much more wider as the patient can also move the knee inward and outward. With new advances in technology, the rotating platform knee surgery seems good in terms of motion range, which is almost close to the normal knee. It is a good option for people who are more physically active. However, your surgeon is the best person to tell you if this is what you need.

Non-Constrained Knee Replacement: This type of knee replacement uses implants that are not linked to each other at all. As mentioned earlier, the hinge knee replacement attaches the joints together for creating artificial support as the ligaments too are damaged to support the implants on their own. However, if the ligaments are supportive enough, then the surgeon inserts the non constrained implants which are stabilized depending on the natural ligaments.

Semi-Constrained Knee Replacement: In a semi-constrained or a partially constrained knee replacement surgery, the implant that is used to replace the knee creates an artificial stability for better support. A small peg like structure known as the 'cam' is extended from the tibial to the femoral component, that is the shin bone to the thigh bone, which helps in better support and stability.

Although your doctor is the best person to tell you as to which type of knee replacement surgery would be the best for you, understanding these different approaches will definitely help you understand your doctor's advice. It is only after thorough tests and analysis of your individual case that the doctor will advice you to go for a particular surgery, so speak to your doctor about your current condition, understand the pros and cons of the same, like the knee replacement surgery recovery time, the cost, the effect and so on, and then take the decision. Take care and have a better tomorrow!