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Knee replacement surgery, also known as total knee arthroplasty, is performed on more than 300,000 patients each year. Designed to replicate a working knee joint, knee replacement surgery is most commonly used to treat people affected by osteoarthritis.
An advanced technique designed to fit the individual needs of patients with a variety of knee problems, knee replacement surgery is also used on patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and other degenerative conditions, such as osteonecrosis, a condition in which disrupted blood flow causes tissue to die.
Knee replacement surgery is most beneficial for people with pain that limits mobility or makes activity such as walking, climbing stairs and getting out of chair difficult. The surgery is helpful to people who have chronic stiffness or swelling in their joints. In order to undergo knee replacement surgery, good overall health is required. Most knee replacement surgeries are performed on patients over age 55 who are suffering from severe cases of arthritis, however younger people can benefit as well.
Performed by an orthopedic surgeon, knee replacement surgery involves cutting away at the damaged bone and cartilage from the kneecap, thighbone and shinbone, and replacing it with an artificial joint (prostheses) made of metal and plastic. The artificial joint is designed to bend just as a real knee does. It provides a smooth knee joint designed to prevent the bones from rubbing together.
Typically, knee replacement surgery takes between one and two hours to complete. Patients will remain in the hospital until they are able to get out of the bed on their own and walk with the help of a walker or crutches. The ability to walk up and down three steps, bend the knee 90 degrees and fully straighten the knee is also a typical requirement for hospital release after knee replacement surgery.
During recovery from knee replacement surgery, home exercise and outpatient physical therapy help develop knee strength through stationary cycling, walking and aquatic therapy. A six-week follow-up appointment with the surgeon will help assess progress, after which it is usually acceptable to resume driving. Still, patients usually must wait two to three months before returning to work. The results of knee replacement surgery are usually successfully for at least 10 years. After 10 years, roughly 20 percent of patients may require another operation, however the remaining 80 percent are likely to see continued success.
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