When to consider a knee replacement
Knee replacement is for a joint whose cartilage has worn away, usually from osteoarthritis, sometimes after injury or inflammatory arthritis. The decision is made on symptoms rather than X-rays alone: pain that disturbs sleep, that limits walking distance, and that has not responded to weight management, physiotherapy, anti-inflammatories or injections.
Total or partial
In a total knee replacement the worn surfaces of the thigh bone, shin bone and often the kneecap are resurfaced with metal and polyethylene components. Where wear is confined to one side of the knee, a partial (unicompartmental) replacement resurfaces only that part, keeps the ligaments, and feels more like a natural knee. Dr East will discuss which is appropriate once the knee has been examined and imaged.
Recovery
You will stand and walk with a frame or crutches on the day of surgery or the day after, and go home after two to four nights at Mediclinic Kloof. Physiotherapy continues for several weeks. Most patients are walking without aids by six weeks and driving by six to eight weeks, with improvement continuing for up to a year. A modern knee replacement is expected to last fifteen to twenty years or more.