Who Requires Partial Knee Replacement Surgery

The surgical procedure which involves replacing diseased or degenerated part of the knee joint with an artificially designed prosthesis is known as partial knee replacement. As opposed to total knee replacement during which the entire knee joint is replaced with a prosthesis; only the diseased portion of knee joint is operated upon during partial knee replacement.

Partial knee replacement is also known as unicompartmental knee replacement surgery. This is because bones and cartilage of only one compartment of the knee joint are replaced during surgery.

Consult with some of the top knee specialists in Kothrud and Bavdhan for more details about partial knee replacement.

Every patient complaining of knee joint troubles is not necessarily a suitable candidate for surgery. Partial knee replacement may be considered if any of the following criteria is applicable to patients presenting with knee joint complaints.

Osteoarthritis renders the knee joint less mobile and affects its functions to an extent. These changes depend on the underlying damage to the knee. Advanced osteoarthritis may cause considerable discomfort to patients. Partial knee replacement is effective in cases where a single portion of knee joint is severely damaged due to osteoarthritis.

There is no point in replacing the entire knee joint if a good portion of the joint is still functional and healthy. Partial knee replacement is a preferred option for patients who have been diagnosed with knee damage that is limited to a certain part of the joint only. The damaged part is replaced with a suitable prosthesis made of metal or plastic.

Some patients may not be suitable candidates for total knee replacement surgery owing to factors like localized sepsis, calcification within a single compartment of the knee joint etc. In such cases when it is inadvisable to operate upon the entire knee joint, a partial joint replacement helps in restoring normal knee functions.

Patients who present with knee joint symptoms often find relief with medicinal treatment, physical therapy, exercise therapy and adequate rest. However when none of these treatment methods have a positive effect on the patient’s health, surgery may be considered. Partial knee replacement is often considered when localized knee joint degeneration cannot be controlled with medicines.

It is very important to remember that patients cannot simply take the decision of undergoing partial knee replacement all by themselves. Only an orthopedic surgeon can decide the necessity of surgery after thoroughly examining the patient and studying their health history.

For more details on the procedure, cost and recovery period of partial knee replacement in Kothrud connect with some of the best orthopedic doctors in Kothrud and Bavdhan.