Knee replacement surgery is an orthopaedic invention of modern medical science. It aims at treating a dysfunctional and chronically inflamed (or painful) knee joint. Consider this article to learn what knee replacement surgery is and why we need it.
What is Knee Replacement Surgery?
Knee replacement, also known as knee arthroplasty, is a surgical intervention performed by orthopaedic surgeons on the worn-out or damaged knee. The main purpose of this surgery is to reduce chronic pain and improve mobility.
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Who Needs Knee Replacement Surgery?
A person who is continuously suffering from excruciating knee pain requires this procedure. Intense pain in the knee restricts mobility severely. The affected person cannot walk, climb, sit, stand, exercise, etc., without pain and discomfort.
Even walking a few steps down the floor seems extremely painful and huge. Such debilitating pain in the knee could be because of more than one reason.
One might need knee replacement surgery for any of the reasons mentioned below.
Osteoarthritis
This medical term is used to describe a knee condition.
Each knee has various parts. One part is articular cartilage, also known as hyaline articular cartilage. It is found over bone ends at the knee joint. It is a flexible, protective and connective piece of soft tissue.
When the knee moves, the rough surfaces of the bone ends at the joint don’t rub against each other because of this cartilage. It prevents wear and tear of bones and other parts of the knee.
Thus, cartilage allows for smooth and pain-free movements.
When this cartilage wears down, bones at the knee joint rub against each other while moving. It restricts activity and causes chronic knee pain. Medically, this condition is known as Osteoarthritis.
Cartilage damage or Osteoarthritis can happen either due to overuse or injuries.
This situation worsens over time. Ultimately, cartilage gets completely damaged. And, it makes the knee chronically painful and highly immobile.
The only treatment to cure pain and restore function in this situation is total knee replacement surgery or TKR.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Apart from OA, Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA is another condition that requires surgery.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. In this condition, the body’s immune system starts attacking healthy tissue in joints. Without treatment, RA can even lead to severe knee damage.
Ultimately, it will give rise to chronic knee inflammation and immobility. The affected person won’t be able to move without pain.
Here, knee replacement surgery helps regain a pain-free, independent and active lifestyle.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis
Sometimes, external traumas can also damage the intricately and delicately intertwined parts of the knee joint. Such external traumas include falls, hits, road accidents, etc.
When a person experiences knee pain, stiffness, swelling, tenderness and mobility issues chronically after an injury, this is called Post-Traumatic Arthritis.
Post-traumatic arthritis can be treated with knee replacement surgery.
Types of Knee Replacement Surgery
There are two types of knee replacement surgery. These are as follows.
- Total Knee Replacement
- Partial Knee Replacement
Total knee replacement, TKR, is performed on the severely damaged knee joint.
In this surgery, an orthopaedic surgeon removes injured parts of the knee and then resurfaces the same using an implant or a prosthesis. A standard total knee replacement implant comprises a patella button, a femoral component, a plastic spacer and a tibial tray.
Total knee replacement surgery usually takes around 1 to 2 hours.
A person might require the TKR procedure for both knees. Such an intervention is called bilateral total knee replacement surgery.
Furthermore, there is partial knee replacement, also known as PKR. It is done when the knee is not damaged completely.
When both knees are resurfaced partially, it is again a bilateral procedure; the term bilateral denotes the involvement of both knees.
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Precautions Before and After Knee Replacement Surgery
If you are planning a knee replacement, your surgeon will let you know what you need to avoid and what you need to do to prevent complications and promote the best outcomes.
Take care of everything your surgeon says. Some of the precautions are as follows:
- Avoid external traumas like falls, road accidents, etc.
- Practise mindfulness while walking, exercising, climbing stairs and moving the knee joint to avoid falls.
- Follow all safety measures while driving a car or riding a bike.
- Stay away from alcohol and other forms of substance abuse, including smoking.
- Don’t take any pills without consulting your surgeon.
- Don’t wet your incisions after the replacement.
- Stay positive and seek help if you are dealing with tomophobia—fear of surgery.
- Eat healthy and fresh meals. Avoid junk foods low in essential nutrients.
- Ensure protein, calcium and vitamin D in your diet before and after the knee replacement as these nutrients are essential for bone and muscle strength.
- Drink plenty of water to fight dehydration.
- Have adequate sleep and exercise regularly. After surgery, follow the advice of your physiotherapist while exercising.
- In case of facing any health issues, don’t forget to discuss them with the surgeon before the surgery or even postoperatively.
Recovery Timeline
One person differs from another because of various considerations such as age, comorbidity, immunity, physical framework, mental issues, activity in lifestyle, dietary intake, etc.
Thus, no one-recovery timeline can apply to every TKR or PKR patient.
People take varying periods of time to recover from knee replacements and get back to their normal life.
Still, on average, most people take one to two months to resume all normal activities and get back to their previous lifestyle.
Conclusion
This has been a complete discussion about why we need knee replacement surgery. Typically, knee joints are replaced with artificial parts when they are severely damaged. The knee damage can happen because of overuse or an injury.
If you are facing acute and chronic pain in the knee, make sure you book a consultation with an orthopaedic doctor. Get the exact diagnosis and receive the best treatment for better knee health.
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