During
partial knee replacement, part of the knee joint is replaced with ceramic,
plastic or metal parts.
Also Known As:
- Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty
- Unicompartmental knee replacement
Conditions
Treated with Partial Knee Replacement:
Partial
knee replacement may be performed in cases of knee pain, knee injury, reduced
mobility, bow-leggedness, knock-knee and arthritis, osteoarthritis and
rheumatoid arthritis of the knee.
Non-surgical
alternatives to partial knee replacement include pain medication, weight loss,
walking aids, physical therapy, strength training, soft knee brace, hyaluronic
acid injections and anti-inflammatory steroid injections. Surgical alternatives
to the procedure include arthroscopic partial knee replacement, total knee
replacement, knee fusion and osteotomy.
Anesthesia with
Partial Knee Replacement:
Partial
knee replacement may be performed with epidural anesthesia. It can also be
performed under general anesthesia, which means that the patient is asleep and
completely unaware during the procedure.
Potential
Complications from Partial Knee Replacement:
Possible
risks following partial knee replacement include infection, bleeding and a
negative reaction to the anesthesia. It is also possible for the artificial
knee to become dislocated and for the patient to notice little to no
improvement in mobility following the procedure.
Prognosis after
Partial Knee Replacement:
The
prognosis for a positive end result is good in the majority of partial knee
replacement cases.
Recovery from
Partial Knee Replacement:
Total
recovery from partial knee replacement takes six to eight weeks.