If you have severe knee arthritis and difficulty getting out of bed, get in touch with the best orthopedists for advanced total knee replacement (TKR).
Total knee replacement (TKR), or total knee arthroplasty, is a minimally invasive orthopedic treatment for damaged, worn, or diseased knee joints by replacing them with an artificial prosthesis. The treatment includes surgery and postoperative physiotherapy.
The main goal of the knee replacement is to ease the patient’s pain and restore their joint mobility. Contrary to patellar replacement and partial knee replacement, total knee replacement involves the removal and replacement of the entire joint and as such, is performed only in severe cases.
Max Health is one of the best surgery care providers in India for orthopedic surgery, including knee replacement surgery, hip replacement, ACL surgery, knee arthroscopy, etc. We specialize in advanced arthroscopic surgery with help from our panel of expert and experienced orthopedic surgeons.
In addition to advanced treatment, we also provide other auxiliary services to the patient- such as documentation support, insurance assistance, free cab services for pickup and dropoff, complimentary meals, etc. If you have joint pain or stiffness and have trouble performing your day-to-day activities, you should get in touch with us for US FDA-approved advanced total knee replacement surgery.
Total knee replacement is often advised for patients with severely damaged or degenerated knee joints. Knee joint degeneration can occur due to the following issues:
You should start considering total knee replacement surgery if you have:
If you’ve made up your mind regarding the surgery, you will need to undergo thorough diagnosis to help assess the severity of the condition, determine the type of implant to be used, etc. Diagnosis involves physical examination of the affected joints, imaging tests like CT scan, MRI scan, X-rays, etc., followed by a general health check up.
Total knee replacement procedure takes about 1 to 3 hours and can be performed under either general or spinal anesthesia. During the surgery, the surgeon creates an incision over the affected knee, removes the generated joints, and places the chosen prosthetic in its place. Then the wound is closed, using sutures or clips, and dressed.
The surgery can be performed traditionally or arthroscopically. In minimally invasive surgery, there is very little bleeding, and the procedure usually does not need any blood transfusions. However, open/traditional surgery requires more care.
There are three main components in a knee implant:
The plastic components of the implant are made of polyethylene, while the metal component is usually made of cobalt-chromium, titanium, zirconium, and nickel. Knee implants can be categorized into four categories based on what they are made of:
Your orthopedic surgeon will discuss your treatment and prosthetic options with you and help you decide the best prosthesis for you.
Proper recovery and rehabilitation are crucial for the success of total knee replacement. If the patient doesn’t take proper care during this period, the surgery can fail. Rehabilitation generally lasts for 12 weeks, but can take longer, if needed.
You will start walking with support from an assistive device like a walker, crutches, cane, etc., immediately after the surgery. Most patients are discharged within 1-3 days of the surgery, based on the type of surgery, type of implant, etc.
You may have to wait 5-7 days before showering and 3-4 weeks before swimming, bathing, etc., to avoid soaking the wound. You may be able to start walking without support after 2-3 weeks. You will notice significant improvement in joint strength and range of motion within 4-6 weeks. Mild exercises can be started around the 7-12 week interval.
Some common benefits of total knee replacement surgery are:
Most patients who undergo knee replacement surgery lie within the age bracket of 50-70 years. However, if they are healthy enough, even patients who are older can undergo the surgery successfully.
TKR surgery provides significant improvement in joint mobility and function. However, it is not miraculous and you won’t be able to perform joint movements you couldn’t before joint degeneration, and other strenuous activities like running, playing extreme sports, etc.
Knee replacement surgery does not treat arthritis, instead it provides symptomatic management, i.e., it provides relief from symptoms like joint inflammation, stiffness, pain, etc.
If the patient takes proper care of themselves, performs appropriate physiotherapy, and leads a healthy lifestyle, their knee implants can easily last for over 30 years.
5 tips to help you promote your healing and reduce recovery period:
Generally, outpatient physical therapy after knee replacement treatment lasts about 4 to 8 weeks. Your physiotherapy duration and requirement after total knee replacement surgery depends on:
Although minimally invasive knee replacement surgeries are very safe, in rare cases, some complications that may occur are:
