Many are familiar with the term knee
replacement, also known as arthroplasty. It is a common operation that involves
replacement of all surfaces of the knee and is usually performed for those
suffering from degenerative disease of the knee, of severity great enough to
cause significant pain and limitation of daily activities.
The knee is the joint between the femur
(thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone). It is consists of 3 sets of surfaces that
move against each other, one on the inner part of the knee (medial
compartment), one on the outer part (lateral compartment) and one between the
knee cap (patella) and the femur. In earlier stages of osteoarthritis, it is
often worse in one compartment. However, if the pain was severe enough to
require knee replacement, the only option was to operate on both medial and
lateral compartments. This is quite extensive and can be very painful. It also
removes otherwise healthy surfaces.
Now, with technological advancement and
implant development, patients have an option of partial knee replacement.
In partial knee replacement, only
the surfaces of the affected compartment are replaced. For many patients, this
would be the medial compartment. As only one compartment is operated on, post
surgical pain is less, rehabilitation can start earlier and the patients may
require shorter hospital stay.
Other benefits of partial knee
replacement is the preservation of healthy joint surface., that would
otherwise have been removed during a total knee replacement.
Outcomes of partial knee replacement
are encouraging.
Before undergoing partial knee replacement,
patients will need to be carefully assessed by trained orthopedic surgeons.
The doctor will ask the patients for details of their symptoms and conduct a
thorough physical examination. X-rays will be ordered and occasionally other
scans as well. The doctor may also ask for blood investigations to identify the
cause of the knee pain/problem.
If the careful evaluation reveals that one
compartment of the knee is more severely affected and surgery is required, partial knee replacement will be
considered as one of the options. The surgeon will discuss with the patients
advantages and disadvantages of partial knee replacement compared with a total
knee replacement before coming to a final decision.
For patients with single compartment
disease, who are considering knee replacement
but are held back because of worry about pain, partial knee
replacement provides an individualised surgical option, and may well be
their key to their lifestyle of choice.