Knee replacement surgery: Causes, Types and symptoms
In the present day world, knee replacement surgery has become a very common orthopaedic practice. A very common reason for the growing popularity of the treatment is the noticeable results encountered by the patients resulting in the elimination of knee pain and increased efficiency in performing tasks that were previously a challenge. Overall, it exemplifies the quality of life by giving the freedom of boundless movement in one’s own body.
What is knee-replacement surgery?
The knee of a human body is composed of bones that support the structure and free movement. Osteoarthiritis is a common problem where these bones become stiff, prohibiting flexible activities and causing discomfort in the area.
These bones are taken off in knee-replacement surgery, and an artificial implant is fixed as a substitute for these bones.
This treatment is advisable for ones who have reached an advanced stage of arthritis in the knees. In such worse conditions, the cartilage wears off, and the result is uneven, pitted and eroded knee. There’s immense pain, stiffness, and instability in movements in such scenarios.
Sometimes, injuries and accidents result in weakened knees, the solution of which might cater for an implant.
Types of knee-replacement surgery
In precise, there are two types of knee replacement surgeries, namely:
Complete knee replacement, with entire artificial substitution
Partial knee replacement, catering for only damaged part replacement
Composition of knee-replacement implants
The selection of prosthesis design and materials depend on every individual’s need. In most cases, titanium and chrome-cobalt alloys make up the metal’s component.
Metal alloys like cobalt-chromium and meat-ceramic alloys make up for the femoral components. Plastic is the patellar component used.
The tibial component is also plastic, but it can also be made of:
- Titanium (as a metal alloy)
- Cobalt chromium (as metal alloy)
Can you avoid a knee-replacement surgery?
Knee-replacement surgery is concluded only after examing the problem from a 360-degree angle. These include:
- Thoroughly understanding the knee joint
- Patient’s age and activeness
In case the activity level is less, nonsurgical treatments can also be a cure, including physiotherapy, NSAIDs, and losing weight to take away pressure from the knees.
Whether to go for a knee-replacement surgery or not and the kind of effects it is going to have on your joint is a subjective matter entirely dependant on every individual level and need.
The process of knee-replacement surgery is very easy going ensuring effective results. The recovery is easy, followed by restoration of normal movements.
