The purpose of knee replacement is to improve the patient’s daily life functions. When calcification progresses, it is difficult to walk short distances, shop, get in and out of the car, go up and down the stairs, and do garden work. Pain

If the complaints persist despite the use of cutting and anti-inflammatory drugs, weight loss, physical therapy, injections into the knee, knee brace, or walking stick, knee replacement surgery should be performed.

Knee replacement surgery

Knee replacement surgery is an operation performed by restoring the articular surfaces of the bones with implants suitable for real anatomy. Knee replacement is mostly used in the treatment of advanced knee osteoarthritis.

Knee replacement was first tried in the 1960s and tested with different surgical techniques and implants. Today, it is applied as a successful and repeatable process using up-to-date technological tools. Knee replacement is a safe and successful treatment modality for restoring physical function and a pain-free knee joint in patients with knee osteoarthritis who do not respond to conservative treatments.

Types of knee replacements

Two basic types of knee replacements are generally used. These are partial (unicondylar) and complete knee replacements. Prosthesis type preference; It is determined according to the region and severity of the joint calcification that occurs. The purpose is similar in both types of prostheses. Insertion is replacing damaged cartilage and bone surfaces with new surfaces that can slide freely on each other to restore movement and function.

In both types of prosthesis, there are metal parts in contact with the bones, and a polyethylene plastic interface is placed between these two parts. There is no mechanical connection between the parts. Therefore, some of the natural ligaments in the knee must be intact to maintain joint stability. There are two articulation surfaces in the tibiofemoral joint (the joint between the thighbone and the shinbone), one on the inside and one on the outside. While only one of these joint surfaces is changed in a partial knee prosthesis, both joint surfaces are changed in a total knee prosthesis.

A better range of motion and better joint sensation is achieved in patients who undergo partial knee replacement. The patellofemoral joint prosthesis is applied between the kneecap and thigh, which is another type of prosthesis, It is designed to replace the articular surfaces between the kneecap and the trochlear groove of the femur. The posterior surface of the kneecap is covered with polymer plastic, while the groove area on the femur is replaced with metal.