What You Must Know About Knee Operations For Arthritis

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Kinds of Knee Operations For Arthritis Treatment

There are many types of knee operation administered to treat knee arthritis. The kind of operation to be advocated depends on variables like the patient’s human body, age, general well-being, personal tastes and lifestyle. The complexity of the operation depends upon the portion of the knee to be treated and the kind of repair to be performed. However, you just need to be operated on if your knee causes stiffness, pain, lack of function and instability that affects your everyday tasks. It’s wise to seek counsel from an orthopaedic surgeon on surgical alternatives and the benefits and drawbacks of delaying or having an operation. Let us now take a look at the different types of knee surgery for arthritis.

This kind of operation is completed on patients who have exhausted nonsurgical treatment alternatives. Patients with moderate to critical conditions of arthritis might consider replacing their whole knee joint. This entails the removal of arthritically affected ends of the shin bone and thigh bone and capping both of them with prostheses. This procedure is like capping teeth.

The prosthetic pieces to be inserted into the knee are made from either plastic known as polyethene or pieces of metal. The new surfaces go easily against each other thus creating a working knee joint. The patient will need to wait 4 to 6 weeks for partial healing while full recovery takes several months to a whole year.

Complete knee replacement operation supplies improved joint function and pain relief for most patients. Nonetheless, knee replacement isn’t as durable and strong as a healthy knee; that is why patients are prohibited from engaging in high-impact activities like running or jogging. Such actions can only just speed up the damage to their new knee.

Unicompartmental knee replacement otherwise referred to as partial knee replacement entails replacing among the knee’s 3 compartments. The three compartments comprise:

* The medial compartment which refers to the inner part of the knee where the knees touch when legs are kept together.

* The patellofemoral compartment which refers to the front part of the knee where the knee cap (patella) meets the thighbone (femur).

Arthroscopes by the best knee surgeon are the kind of operation is suitable for very few individuals, and some patients may be ineligible if they’re knock-kneed or bow-legged. Other patients who may not be eligible for this kind of operation are those with ligament damage, severe knee stiffness or those experiencing inflammatory arthritis.

Partial knee replacement is not as invasive as complete knee replacement, it is therefore generally less painful and requires less time for the patient to recover. Nonetheless, partial knee replacement is less reliable in relieving pain.

KNEE OSTEOTOMY (FEMORAL OSTEOTOMY)

This kind of operation is suitable for just a small number of younger and physically active people under the age of 60. It’s appropriate for such patients due to their poor knee alignment and asymmetrical knee arthritis.

Osteotomy entails cutting of the thigh bone (femur) or shin bone (tibia) and:

* Removing a little wedge of bone

* Adding a modest wedge of bone graft or man-made bone substance

Knee osteotomy realigns the knee, shifting more pressure to the good side of the joint thereby reducing wear and tear on the bad side.

Article: Dr Ben Handcock from www.bestkneesurgeon.com.au, shows you the way to locate a very good Wollongong knee specialist. Reviews of the best surgeons in Wollongong and down the NSW South Coast are available for you to compare and research before making a decision on knee operation.