Unicompartmental Knee Replacement Treatment

What is Unicompartmental Knee replacement?

During knee replacement surgery, damaged bone and cartilage is resurfaced with the help of the metal and plastic components. In unicompartmental knee replacement (which is also called partial knee replacement) only a portion of the knee is being resurfaced. This process is an option for the total knee replacement for the patients whose disease is limited to just one area of the knee. Because a partial knee replacement is performed through a smaller incision, patients usually spend less time in the hospital and return to their day to day activities sooner than total knee replacement patients. There is a range of treatments for knee osteoarthritis and the doctor will discuss the options with the patients that will best relieve their individual osteoarthritis symptoms.

Advantages of Partial Knee Replacement

Multiple studies show that a majority of patients who are suitable candidates for the process have good results with unicompartmental knee replacement.

The advantages of partial knee replacement as compared to the total knee replacement are:

• Quicker recovery
• Less pain after surgery
• Less blood loss

Also, due to the bone, cartilage, and ligaments in the healthy parts of the knee are placed, many patients report that a partial knee replacement feels much more natural than a total knee replacement. A unicompartmental knee may also bend better as compared with the total knee replacement.

Disadvantages of Partial Knee Replacement

The disadvantages of partial knee replacement as compared to the total knee replacement may include:

• Slightly less predictable pain relief
• More surgery may be required. For example, a total knee replacement may be required in the future if arthritis develops in the parts of the knee that have not been replaced in the past.

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Who are the candidates for the Surgery?

If the patient’s osteoarthritis has advanced and nonsurgical treatment options are no longer relieving their symptoms, the doctor may suggest the knee replacement surgery. In order that the candidate undergoes unicompartmental knee replacement, the individual’s arthritis must be limited to one compartment of the knee. In addition, if the patients have any of the following characteristics, they may not be eligible for the procedure:

• Inflammatory arthritis
• Significant knee stiffness
• Ligament damage

With proper selection of the patient, modern unicompartmental knee replacements have shown excellent medium and long-term results in both the younger and older patients.

What does the Surgical Procedure involve?

The surgeon may choose which type of incision and implant can be used for the subject’s knee. During the surgery, the surgeon may align the instruments which may determine the amount of bone to be removed. The surgeon removes the bone from the tibia and thigh bone. The surgeon may decide to check if the suitable amount of bone was removed during the surgery. In order to make sure that the proper size implant is used, a chosen, the surgeon will place the implant on the ends of the bone and secure it with the help of pegs. Finally, the wound will be closed by the surgeon with the help of sutures. The unicompartmental replacement is a minimally invasive choice for the patients whose arthritis is isolated to either the medial or the lateral compartment. The whole process offers several advantages to the patients with a moderately active lifestyle, who are having arthritis in just one of the knee compartments, and who are within normal weight ranges. The surgeon uses a cut of just 3-4 inches, whereas a total knee replacement requires a cut of 8-12 inches. The partial replacement does not disrupt the knee cap, thus making a shorter rehabilitation period. A partial replacement also results in minimal blood loss during the procedure and results in considerably less post-operative pain. The hospitalization time as compared to that of the total knee replacement is also greatly reduced.

What are the Risks involved?

Blood clots (deep vein thrombosis) are a very common complication after the surgery. However, a doctor may prescribe certain medicines for preventing blood clots. Infection may occur even after the surgery. However, antibiotics may be prescribed by a doctor for the prevention of the infections. Individual factors (e.g., weight, anatomy, prior joint surgeries prior medical history) must be addressed with the surgery subject. The causes of long-term failure of UKAs include loosening of the implant, and degeneration of the adjacent knee compartment, polyethylene wear.

How soon will I recover?

Hospital discharge: Partial knee replacement patients generally experience less swelling, less postoperative pain, and have easier rehabilitation than the patients who are undergoing total knee replacement. In most of the cases, patients go home in 1 to 3 days after the operation. Some patients go home the same day as of the surgery.

Pain management: After surgery, the patients will experience some pain, but the surgeon and nurses will make every effort to help the patients feel as comfortable as possible. Different kinds of medicines are available to help control pain, including opioids, local anesthetics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Treating pain with medication can make the patients feel more comfortable, which will help in healing the patient’s body and thus the recovery from surgery is at a faster rate. Opioids can provide excellent pain relief; however, they are one of a narcotic and can be very addictive. It is important to use opioids only as instructed by the doctor. The patients should stop taking these medications as soon as their pain starts to improve.

Weight-bearing: The patients will begin putting weight on their knee right after the surgery. The patients may require a walker, cane, or crutches for the first few days or weeks until they become comfortable to walk without any assistance.

Rehabilitation exercise: A physical therapist will give the patients exercises to help maintain their range of motion and thus restoring the strength of the patients.

Doctor visits: One must continue to see their orthopedic surgeon for follow-up visits in his/her clinic regularly. The patients will most likely to resume all of their day to day activities by 6 weeks after the surgery.

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