                  
|
Patient Education: Total Knee Replacement |
|
Unicompartmental Knee Replacement Cartilage is the natural shock absorber and cushion between the bone surfaces in a joint. If cartilage is damaged by trauma or inflammation, or wears down as in osteoarthritis, significant pain and disability may be caused by the rubbing of the underlying raw bone on bone. This x-ray shows a knee in which the cartilage has worn away on the inner aspect of the joint. This patient was a candidate for a mini incision unicompartmental replacement. The x-ray in the middle shows the procedure. Only the damaged worn portion of the knee has been replaced. The healthy parts have been preserved. The advantages of this procedure include: • Shorter hospital stay • Shorter recovery and rehabilitation • Smaller incision than traditional total replacement (4" as opposed to 8" to 12") • Less bone removal providing for more options in the future The x-ray at the right shows a total knee replacement in which all the cartilage surfaces have been replaced because the patient was not a candidate for uni procedure. |
|
