A Guide to Total Knee Arthroplasty
Conditions related to orthopedics could be serious, especially if the treatment is delayed or the right treatment is not provided. Both traumatic and non-traumatic causes are the reasons for orthopedic issues.
One of the most commonly injured or diseased joints is the knee joint, and in severe cases, knee replacement surgery is required. This type of surgery involves the replacement of the damaged knee joint with the artificial one including other Ortho Surgical Implants.
In this post, our focus will be on discussing knee replacement surgery in detail along with the situations in which it is performed.
The field of orthopedics is improving year after year and that is directly benefiting the healthcare service providers and the patients. With this, the success rate of surgeries has also become better. Let us focus on our topic of discussion.
What is Total Knee Arthroplasty?
Also known as knee replacement surgery, total knee arthroplasty is performed to relieve symptoms like pain and swelling that are experienced in the knee joint due to a disease or an injury. During the surgery, the surgeon cuts the damaged bone and cartilage from the thigh bone, shinbone, and kneecap. Now, the damaged bone is replaced with orthopedic implants made of metals, plastics, and a combination of both.
When all other treatments fail to deliver expected results, the last option left is knee replacement surgery.
In Which Cases Knee Replacement Surgery is Performed?
There are certain conditions in which knee replacement surgery may become the last option left if other conventional treatment methods fail. Let us see what these conditions are:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a condition that occurs due to age-related wear and tear, and it can also affect the knee joint. This orthopedic condition is generally noticed in people over 50 years of age. If the condition becomes severe, only knee arthroplasty can provide relief from the painful symptoms and improve joint function.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
In this condition, the membrane around the knee becomes thick and inflammation is also seen. Sometimes, chronic inflammation is reported, and in such cases, knee replacement surgery is required.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis
As the name suggests, this is the form of arthritis that occurs after a traumatic injury. Like, if someone has experienced a traumatic injury affecting their knee, there are chances that arthritis may occur in that area after some time. To Fix such problems, knee arthroplasty may be required.
How Total Knee Arthroplasty is Performed?
This surgery is performed under anesthesia, and before that, certain imaging and pathological tests will be done by the healthcare service provider to ensure that the surgery can be safely performed.
An intravenous antibiotic is also administered to minimize the chances of post-surgical infection.
During the surgery, the knee will be kept in a bent position to ensure that all the surfaces of the joint are exposed. The size of the incision is around 6 to 10 inches. After making the incision, the surgeon gently moves the kneecap and removes the damaged bone and cartilage.
Once this is done, an artificial joint is placed after preparing the joint surface. The knee is then bent and rotated to ensure its proper functioning, and the incision is closed.
After the surgery, it is advised to strictly follow all the instructions given by the surgeon to ensure improved and better recovery.
