Understanding what Total Knee Replacement is and how it can help you
2017.08.25
Since a long time, patients with knee problems caused due to arthritis or any accident, not only had difficulty with walking or climbing stairs, but also had to endure severe pain while sitting or sleeping.
Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Advancement in medical surgeries have enabled knee patients to opt for the safe and effective Total Knee Replacement surgery (TKR), which not only removes all the chronic knee pain, but can also enable you to return to normal day-to-day activities. This article discusses the surgical procedure involved in TKR along with its many benefits.
Knee Anatomy: In order to understand the TKR procedure, let us take a brief look at the anatomy of the knee. The knee joint is the largest joint in our body and comprises the following bones: Femur (or the thighbone), which is located in our upper leg. This bone supports our body during running, walking, or jumping. The lower end of the femur is part of the knee joint. Tibia (or the shinbone), which is located in our lower leg, this bone connects our knee and ankle. The upper end of the tibia is part of the knee joint, Patella (commonly referred to as the kneecap)
Knee Replacement Surgery cost, Its procedure is more accurately defined as knee resurfacing, as the procedure only involves replacing the surface of the knee bones with artificial knee parts. The entire surgery lasts for approximately 1 to 2 hours.
This surgical procedure comprises of the following 4 main steps:
A) Bone preparation: After making the incision into the knee to gain access to the patella, the surgeon prepares the bone by removing the damaged bone and cartilages first from the femur followed by the tibia.
B) Metal implant insertion: In order to recreate the joint surface, the removed bone and cartilage in both the knee bones need to be replaced with metal implants. For the femur, the surgeon attaches the femoral component to the end of the bone and uses bone cement for sealing the metal implant. For the tibia, the surgeon fits the bottom portion of the implant namely, the tibial tray, which is then secured with bone cement.
C) Patella readjustment: The lower surface of the patella is cut and resurfaced, typically using a plastic part to fit it perfectly with the rest of the implant.
D) Plastic spacer insertion: The TKR procedure is then completed by inserting a plastic spacer between the metallic components to ensure smoother gliding of the knee bones.
TKR benefits over 90% of the patients who have undergone TKR surgery have benefitted from better mobility and pain reduction. Less than 2% of the TKR patients have experienced serious medical complications such as knee joint infections. Conclusion Since the first knee replacement surgery that was performed in the year 1968, this form of knee surgery is rated among the most successful surgical procedures. Each year, more than 600,000 knee replacement surgeries are performed in the United States. Most of the patients who undergo TKR are in the age group of 50-80 years, although it has also been performed on younger patients, including children. While the benefits of the TKR procedure are many, it is always advisable to consult with an orthopedic surgeon for their recommendation before you decide to book surgery packages online or through other methods.
Reference links: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00389
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