Knee Replacement Surgery - What Should You Know?

Contrary to popular belief, knee replacement is not a substitute of the entire knee but replacement of only the cartilage. An artificial substitute for the cartilage is inserted on the ends of the bones forming the knee joint. A metal alloy is used on the femur, and a plastic spacer is placed on the tibia and kneecap. This mechanism serves as a new cushioning system and offers the knee joint to work as a fully operational unit again. Talk to your orthopedic doctor to find if you are a suitable candidate for the surgery as he/she will be able to advise based on your particular condition.

This is a myth that old people cannot undergo knee replacement. If the candidate is in reasonable health and wants to lead an active and productive life, then he/she is a suitable candidate for such a surgery. To know about your general health condition, your surgeon will ask you to have a check-up with your personal physician. If surgery is the only way out, do have a positive outlook on the whole process since a little difficulty will lead to a better quality of life in the near future.

Knee osteoarthritis is a condition that can disrupt everyday activities such as walking, sitting or even lying down due to the knee pain associated with it. Doctors would typically try medications and therapies, and if your body does not respond to such methods, surgery would be preferred as a last resort to remedy the situation. Weight loss and supplements would also be recommended before the surgical option is chosen.

In general, a knee replacement does last for around 10-15 years but a second knee replacement may be necessary after that. Moreover, there is no guarantee since 5-10% of knee replacements do not last that long. However, you can stay optimistic since 90-95% knee replacements do last for around 10 years at least. Have your surgery performed only by a reputed orthopedic surgeon since the chances of knee replacement fails are quite common.