What Causes Knee Damage

• Osteoarthritis: It is an age-related type of arthritis. The wear and tear of the knee joint may occur in old people, but even younger people are becoming prone to it. In this type, the cartilage that caps the knee joint bones becomes soft and wears off. On complete loss of cartilage, the bones rub against each other and cause knee stiffness, inflammation in the joint and knee pain.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: A condition associated with the thickening and inflammation of the synovial membrane of the knee join. The condition eventually leads to loss of cartilage, stiffness and pain. This type of arthritis is the most prominent type of inflammatory arthritis.
• Post-traumatic arthritis: This type of arthritis develops following a severe knee injury. The cartilage covering the edges of the knee bones begins to deteriorate over a period of time, causing severe knee pain and limiting knee function.

Medications for Knee Pain

Those who start taking medicines and using walking supports may no longer find such measures useful. Some people also resort to taking lubricating injections, cortisone injections and anti-inflammatory medications along with physiotherapy. If all such non-surgical measures fail, then orthopaedic doctors recommend total knee replacement surgery.

Total Knee Replacement (Knee Arthroplasty)

Preparation of the bone:

Cartilage surfaces at the ends of the tibia and femur are removed along with some parts of the damaged bone to prepare the bone for the implant.

Positioning the metal implants:

Metal components recreate the joint surface after the removal of cartilage and bone. The implant is cemented or press-fit into the bone.

Resurfacing the patella:

The knee cap (patella) may be cut and resurfaced with a plastic button based on the requirement.

Inserting a spacer:

A medical-grade plastic spacer is inserted to create a smooth gliding surface between the implanted metal components.

Is Total Knee Replacement Apt for You?

Your orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in total knee replacement surgery decides whether you are a perfect candidate for the total knee replacement based on a cooperative decision — which is based on your orthopaedic doctor, you and your family. After a thorough medical and physical examination, scanning and evaluation, your orthopaedic surgeon will decide whether you benefit from the surgery.

When does your Orthopaedic Doctor Recommend Total Knee Replacement?

Your orthopaedic doctor decides on Total Knee Replacement based on several reasons, especially when you have the following concerns:

• Knee stiffness and severe pain that hampers everyday activities — such as getting in and out of bed or chair, walking difficulty, climbing stairs
• Extreme difficulty walking a few steps without support and without significant pain
• Need for a support, cane or walker for walking
• Moderate to severe knee pain every time — day and night, and also while resting
• Knee swelling and chronic knee inflammation that doesn’t improve with medications, physiotherapy and rest
• Knee deformity — a bowing in or out of the knee