Total knee replacement is the surgical intervention for those with severe knee damage.
It is replacing or resurfacing the worn out cartilage with metal lining to restore the joint functionality.
It will relieve pain and allows the knee to be active. It is recommended in case of knee pain , and if the medicines or any other treatments are not working anymore.
Preoperative evaluation:
- Clinical examination
- X-ray of the knee joint
- Blood tests
- Chest X-ray
- ECG
- 2D echo
- Anesthetic checkup
- Physician and cardiologist opinion
Total knee replacement procedure
- Bone preparation: The damaged surfaces of the cartilage at the ends of the tibia and femur are removed along with some underlying bone.
- Implant positioning: Removed cartilage surface and bone are replaced with metal components to create the joint surface.
- Patella resurfacing: The undersurface of the knee cap (patella) is attached with a plastic button. In some cases, this is not needed.
- Implanting a spacer: A medical grade plastic implant is inserted in between the mental components to create a gliding motion.
Post operative period:
- Hospitalization for three to four days
- Knee motion and strengthening exercises are taught
- Patients is made to walk using a walker
- Takes around four to six weeks to get back to normal walking without the help of walker
Complications
- Intraoperative complications could be damage to the collateral ligaments, neurovascular structures and fractures.
- Postoperative complications include infections and thromboembolism.
- Late stage complications could be an infection, instability, periprosthetic fracture and aseptic loosening.