Unicompartmental Knee Replacement for Damaged Knee Joints

The human body is a machine that is very fragile and complicated. Even a minor disorder in any part of the body can lead to a major problem causing trouble in the physical functionality of the body. It is very important to stay healthy and take good care of our body in order to live happily. At the same time, one cannot stop the aging process, and with age certain problems do exist. Arthritis is one of them!

There may be two reasons of having joint pain, either severe injury or any disease. Arthritis is a disease that leads to immense joint pain which can be unbearable. To get rid of such severe pain and to restore function, one should consider knee replacement surgery. There are two types of knee replacements, unicompartmental (partial) knee replacement, and total knee replacement surgery.

Unicompartmental knee replacement is an option for those patients having osteoarthritis limited to just one part of the knee. Partial knee replacement only helps to cure the knee diseases at earlier stages. In this technique, only the damaged section is replaced with metal and plastic, thereby leaving the rest of the knee parts as is. Surgeons make an incision over the knee so that the damaged cartilage is visible to them. Then, the femur and tibia are cut flat, and the edges are cleaned properly. After this, a unicompartmental device is fitted into its exact place. This surgery lasts about one and a half hours.

Uni knee replacement surgery is also suitable for patients who have severe knee arthritis and no other treatment is an option.  However, this surgery is not advisable for those patients who have arthritis that has spread to a wider area, such as beyond the inner and outer parts of the knee. Generally, patients above 55 years of age can go for Uni knee replacement surgery depending upon their physical strength.

It is said that partial or uni knee replacement surgery is more beneficial than total knee replacement. The reason behind this is that it involves a less invasive incision and faster recovery.  Other reasons are:

–          Hospitalization time is shorter

–          Rehabilitation and return to normal activities is faster

–          Less post-operative pain

–          Less swelling

–          Patients can go home within 1-3 days after the operation

After getting discharged from a hospital, the patient needs to undertake physical therapy and a rehabilitation program to recover quickly. The most important thing in a speedy recovery is positive thinking. This can make a great difference to the final outcome, while being positive may help you recover from the post-operative blues.

The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not to be construed as medical care or medical advice and is not a replacement for medical care given by your physicians or trained medical personnel.