When would I need a knee replacement?
The Regenerative Orthopaedics and Spine Institute team recommends a knee replacement when the joint is damaged by advanced osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis develops over years of wear-and-tear that breaks down the cartilage, exposing the bare ends of the bones inside the joint, causing them to rub against one another.
Without cartilage to cushion them, the bones are damaged more and more each day, causing pain, stiffness, and inflammation.
What kind of knee replacement surgery will I have?
The two kinds of knee replacements are partial and total:
Partial or unicompartmental knee replacement
Your knee joint is made up of three compartments — the front of the knee, inside the knee, and outside the joint. If osteoarthritis damages just one compartment, the Regenerative Orthopaedics and Spine Institute team can replace that one area.
Total knee replacement
When osteoarthritis damages two or three compartments, your provider replaces the entire joint. This procedure is called total knee arthroplasty.
What happens during a knee replacement?
During a partial knee replacement, your provider removes the damaged tissues and replaces the compartment with a metal prosthesis. The healthy cartilage, bone, and ligaments outside the compartment are preserved.
A total knee replacement proceeds in three steps:
Femoral component
Your replacement begins by replacing the end of your femur (thigh bone). Your provider cleans away damaged tissues, cuts off the end of the bone, and restructures the bone to fit the prosthesis. They then place the femoral implant on top of the bone.
This part of the prosthesis is made of metal. It curves over the front and back of the bone, recreating the shape of your natural femur.
Tibial component
Your provider replaces the top of your tibia (shinbone), getting rid of damaged tissues and then cutting off the top of the bone. They create a flat area on the bone that accommodates the prosthesis.
The tibial prosthesis has a stem that goes down the center of the shinbone. Then your provider attaches a flat metal piece to the stem and puts a plastic piece on top of the metal. The plastic piece does the same thing that the cartilage did in your natural joint.
Patellar component
Finally, your provider resurfaces the underside of the patella and secures a plastic liner on the bone.
If you struggle with the pain of knee osteoarthritis, call Regenerative Orthopaedics and Spine Institute or book an appointment online today.
