What is Knee Replacement Surgery?
Knee replacement surgery in New Jersey has become a common surgical procedure. It is also known as knee arthroplasty. This procedure entails restoring the weight bearing façade of the knee joint that is damaged, worn out or diseased. This relieves pain and helps restore movement. The procedure involves implanting a metal and plastic piece that is shaped as a joint. The implant allows the knee to move properly.
If you live in Milburn, you may be asking several key questions regarding knee replacement surgery. These questions may include: Who is a candidate for knee replacement surgery? Is there more than one type of knee replacement surgery? If so, what is the recovery time for knee replacement surgery? What are the risks? Are there any alternatives to knee replacement surgery?
People who are candidates for knee replacement surgery can suffer from one or more of a variety of ailments. The three most common are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and post-traumatic arthritis. Osteoarthritis is related to age. It is caused by the normal wear and tear of the knee joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by inflamed membrane that surrounds the knee joint. It is thick. With rheumatoid arthritis the inflammation becomes chronic and damages the cartilage in the knee joint. Post-traumatic arthritis is caused by a break of the bones in the knee or a torn ligament. These types of injuries will affect the cartilage.
There are two major types of knee replacement surgery. The first is TKR or total knee replacement. The second is PKR or partial knee replacement. The most common procedure is TKR which involves replacing both sides of the knee joint. This type of surgery should last 15 to 20 years. It also leaves a great deal of scar tissue. Although you will have better mobility and less pain there will always be some difficulty in moving your knee.
PkR involves replacing only one side of the knee joint. Less bone is removed in this type of surgery. This procedure involves less blood loss, an easier rehabilitation and lower risk of infection. After PKR, patients have a more natural movement of the knee.
Patients are usually encouraged to walk a day after their procedure. Physical therapy is always part of the recovery process. They will use a passive motion machine to simulate the movement of the knee. Patients who have knee replacement surgery can expect a hospital stay of five to ten days. It takes about six weeks for patients to resume normal day to day activities, but it could take up to three months to completely recover.
Some risks of Knee replacement surgery include stroke, DVT also known as deep vein thrombosis, infection of the knee joint, heart attack and nerve damage. These outcomes happen in less than 2% of patients who have knee replacement surgery.
There are some alternatives to knee replacement surgery. The list that follows includes a few popular alternatives. Knee cap replacement can be performed when only the knee cap is damaged. Mini-incision surgery is where the orthopedic surgeon uses a small incision rather than a large one. In this procedure, tissue is maneuvered rather than cut. This makes for quicker healing. Arthroscopic washout and debridement is where a tiny telescope is inserted into the knee and then the knee is flushed with saline solution to clear out any tiny bone fragments. Osteotomy is a procedure in which the shin bone is cut and re-aligned so that the patient’s weight no longer bears down on the knee. Finally, Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is when new cartilage for the patient is grown artificially and then implanted into the damaged area.
Knee replacement surgery has become common placed in today’s society. It is performed by an orthopedic surgeon. There are two major kinds of knee replacement surgery. Knee replacement surgery is performed for a variety of reasons. People can usually resume normal day to day activities around six weeks after knee replacement surgery. 2% of patients who have knee replacement surgery have complications. Finally, there are alternatives to knee replacement surgery.
If you live in Milburn, you may be asking several key questions regarding knee replacement surgery. These questions may include: Who is a candidate for knee replacement surgery? Is there more than one type of knee replacement surgery? If so, what is the recovery time for knee replacement surgery? What are the risks? Are there any alternatives to knee replacement surgery?
People who are candidates for knee replacement surgery can suffer from one or more of a variety of ailments. The three most common are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and post-traumatic arthritis. Osteoarthritis is related to age. It is caused by the normal wear and tear of the knee joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by inflamed membrane that surrounds the knee joint. It is thick. With rheumatoid arthritis the inflammation becomes chronic and damages the cartilage in the knee joint. Post-traumatic arthritis is caused by a break of the bones in the knee or a torn ligament. These types of injuries will affect the cartilage.
There are two major types of knee replacement surgery. The first is TKR or total knee replacement. The second is PKR or partial knee replacement. The most common procedure is TKR which involves replacing both sides of the knee joint. This type of surgery should last 15 to 20 years. It also leaves a great deal of scar tissue. Although you will have better mobility and less pain there will always be some difficulty in moving your knee.
PkR involves replacing only one side of the knee joint. Less bone is removed in this type of surgery. This procedure involves less blood loss, an easier rehabilitation and lower risk of infection. After PKR, patients have a more natural movement of the knee.
Patients are usually encouraged to walk a day after their procedure. Physical therapy is always part of the recovery process. They will use a passive motion machine to simulate the movement of the knee. Patients who have knee replacement surgery can expect a hospital stay of five to ten days. It takes about six weeks for patients to resume normal day to day activities, but it could take up to three months to completely recover.
Some risks of Knee replacement surgery include stroke, DVT also known as deep vein thrombosis, infection of the knee joint, heart attack and nerve damage. These outcomes happen in less than 2% of patients who have knee replacement surgery.
There are some alternatives to knee replacement surgery. The list that follows includes a few popular alternatives. Knee cap replacement can be performed when only the knee cap is damaged. Mini-incision surgery is where the orthopedic surgeon uses a small incision rather than a large one. In this procedure, tissue is maneuvered rather than cut. This makes for quicker healing. Arthroscopic washout and debridement is where a tiny telescope is inserted into the knee and then the knee is flushed with saline solution to clear out any tiny bone fragments. Osteotomy is a procedure in which the shin bone is cut and re-aligned so that the patient’s weight no longer bears down on the knee. Finally, Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is when new cartilage for the patient is grown artificially and then implanted into the damaged area.
Knee replacement surgery has become common placed in today’s society. It is performed by an orthopedic surgeon. There are two major kinds of knee replacement surgery. Knee replacement surgery is performed for a variety of reasons. People can usually resume normal day to day activities around six weeks after knee replacement surgery. 2% of patients who have knee replacement surgery have complications. Finally, there are alternatives to knee replacement surgery.