Knee cartilage replacement surgery is done on patients suffering from
cartilage damage due to arthritis. In this surgery the knee will not be
replaced, instead the affected cartilage alone will be replaced. This
surgery is opted at conditions where the patient suffers from unbearable
pain which cannot be cured by non operative methods.
In knee cartilage replacement surgery, the surfaces that are worn out
will be resurfaced with plastic and a metal alloy implant. The dysfunctional
joint will be removed and a smoothly sliding new surface will be created.
Knee Cartilage
Replacement surgery is done for several patients and its success rate
is 95% for about 20 years. Average age of the patients who undergo this
surgery lies between 65 and 75. 80% of this surgery is unilateral (replacing
of only one knee) and 20% of bilateral. Also 60% of the patients are women.
Knee Cartilage
Replacement Surgery Procedure
The surgery will be done under general anesthesia. The patient will be
positioned in an operating table and a urinary catheter will be inserted.
Blood pressure, heart beat, breathing and blood oxygen level will be monitored
continuously during surgery. The skin at the surgical area will be cleaned
with solution. The surgeon will make an incision at the knee area. The
damaged surfaces will be removed with the help of surgical instruments.
Then they will be replaced with metal implants known as prosthesis. There
are two types of prosthesis. The first one is cemented prosthesis type
in which it is attached to the bone with the help of cement. The second
one namely un-cemented prosthesis type attaches with a porous like surface
to the bone and the bone grows and attaches to it.
One among these types of prosthesis is used for implantation. In certain
cases, a combination of above two types may also be used. When the implantation
is done, the incision will be closed with the help of stitches and surgical
staples.
Complications
of Knee Cartilage Replacement Surgery
• General anesthetic allergies and infection at the incision site.
• Bleeding during the surgery.
• Blood clots may occur at the legs or lungs.
• The replaced new joint may get loosened or dislodged and it might
not function in the desired manner.
• Damage of blood vessels and nerves may happen at the area of surgery.
• In certain cases, the joint pain will not be relieved after the
surgery due to the formation of bone spurs, round edges of the bone, etc.
Alternatives
to Knee Cartilage Replacement Surgery
There are many alternative solutions to Knee Cartilage Replacement Surgery.
Few such alternatives are: activity modifications, joint supplements,
cortisone injections, anti inflammatory medications, and hyaluronic acid
injections.
