Joint Replacement Surgery, An Effective And Safe Procedure To Relieve Pain

It may be difficult to perform simple activities such as walking if your knee is severely injured or damaged. You may even feel pain at the rest position.

If non- surgical treatments like medications and walking supports are no longer helpful, you can go for total knee replacement surgery. Joint replacement surgery is an effective and safe procedure to relieve pain and help you to perform normal activities.

First knee replacement surgery was performed in 1968. Since then, advancements in surgical materials and techniques have increased its effectiveness. Total knee replacements are one of the successful procedures to treat the knee fractures. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 600,000 above knee replacements are performed each year in the United States.

Whether one has just started exploring treatment options or have already decided to have total knee replacement surgery, this article will help to understand more about this useful procedure.

Cause

Arthritis is the most common cause of chronic pain and disability. However, there are many types of arthritis, most of the knee pain is caused by just three types: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis.

• Osteoarthritis- This is related to “wear and tear” type of arthritis. It usually occurs in people with age of 50 years and older but may occur in younger too. The cartilage that cushions the knee bones softens and wears away. The bones then rub against one another, causing stiffness and knee pain.
• Rheumatoid arthritis- This is a disease in which the synovial membrane that surrounds the joint becomes thickened and inflamed. This chronic inflammation can damage the cartilage and gradually cause cartilage loss, pain, and stiffness. This arthritis is the most common form of a group of disorders termed as ‘inflammatory arthritis”.
• Post-traumatic arthritis- This can follow a severe knee injury. Bone fractures surrounding the knee or tears of the knee ligaments may damage the articular cartilage with the passing time, causing knee pain and limiting knee function.

Description

A knee replacement, also called knee arthroplasty might be more accurately termed as the knee “resurfacing” as only the bone surface is replaced.

There are four basic steps of a knee replacement procedure: -

• Prepare the bone-The damaged cartilage surfaces at the ends of the femur and tibia are removed along with a small portion of the underlying bone. orthopedic bone plate can be used to join the fracture bone of human beings and animals.
• Position the metal implants- the removed cartilage and bone are replaced with metal components that recreate the joint surface. These parts of metal may be cemented or “press- fit” into the bone.
• Resurface the patella- The undersurface of the patella or kneecap is cut and resurfaced with a plastic button. Some surgeons don’t resurface the patella, depending upon the case.
• Insert a spacer- A medical- grade plaster spacer is inserted between the components of metal to create a smooth gliding surface.

Is Total Knee Replacement Useful for You?

The decision to have a total knee replacement surgery should be taken with the consent of you, your family physician, and your orthopedic surgeon. Your physician may refer you to an orthopedic surgeon for a thorough evaluation to determine if you might get advantage from this surgery.

When Surgery is Considered

Bowed knee deformity.

There are various reasons why your doctor may recommend knee replacement surgery. The people who can take advantage of total knee replacement often have:

• Severe knee pain or stiffness that limits your activities of everyday life, including walking, climbing stairs. You may find it difficult to walk more than a few blocks without significant pain and may need to use a walker or cane.
• Moderate or severe knee pain while resting either in the daytime or night time.
• Chronic knee inflammation and swelling that does not improve with rest or medicines.
• Knee deformity- Bowing in or out of the knee.
• Failure to substantially improve with other treatments such as anti-inflammatory medications, lubricating injections, cortisone injections, physical therapy, or other surgeries.

Candidates for Surgery:

There is no absolute age or weight restrictions for total knee replacement surgery.

Recommendations for surgery are based on a pain and disability of the patient, not age. Most patients who undergo total knee replacement are the age of 50 to 80, but orthopedic surgeons assess patients individually. Total knee replacements have been performed successfully at all ages, from the young person with juvenile arthritis to the elderly patient with degenerative arthritis.

Partial hip replacement surgery is also performed by the orthopedic surgeons. Implants and instruments are used by the surgeons for the surgery. Siora Surgicals Pvt. Ltd. is a one of the top-rated orthopedic implants exporters who produce implants and instruments for partial hip replacement.