Partial Knee Replacement

• Inner or the medial compartment
• Outer or the lateral compartment
• Patellofemoral compartment

Knee Arthritis can impact any of these three compartments. But it is often seen that the medial or inner compartment is the most affected part of the knee joint.

However, only 5-6% of the patients are diagnosed with unicompartmental knee arthritis and require partial knee replacement.

If a patient experiences persistent knee pain despite use of pain medications, he or she may be recommended a knee joint replacement surgery. Patients who have arthritis only in one part of the knee are ideal candidates for a partial knee joint replacement. Further it is best for patients who are not morbidly obese with BMI less than 40.

The surgeon would also check and ensure that the patient’s anterior cruciate ligament is intact and he or she has adequate range of knee motion. The angulation of the deformation may also be considered.

• Patients with inflammatory arthritis
• Patient with severe stiffness in the knee joint
• Patients with ligament damage

Additional considerations may need to be evaluated on a case by case basis by the orthopedic surgeon.

As compared to total knee joint replacement, partial knee arthroplasty preserves range of motion & knee function by preserving the healthy tissue & bone. Also loss of blood is very low during this surgery & the patient recovers much faster.

• Infection at the site of surgery
• Blood clots
• Injuries to nerve or blood vessels
• Knee joint stiffness
• Failure of prosthesis

During the surgery, the doctor would first make an incision to access the affected part of the knee. The damaged cartilage & bone tissue are removed from the tibia & femur in the arthritic area. The prostheses are then inserter & may be cemented to ensure that they are secure and in place. The surrounding structures are restored to their positions & the incision is closed.

The recovery time for partial knee replacement may be three to six weeks. Within 6 to 10 weeks of rehabilitation the patient is able to even return back to sports. At Elite Orthopedics, our doctors are specialised in performing Partial Knee Replacement. For Appointments, connect with our team now.