Know Everything About Knee Replacements
Knees tend to give way as people grow older; keeping them from enjoying a mobile life. People prefer sitting in one place or lying down most of the time to avoid the pain, growing inactive and gradually develop other diseases like obesity. This is not the most ideal condition but is very common. It doesn’t just make everyday life painful but it also makes people grow irritable and frustrated, making them incapable of doing all that they used to do.
You’re just at the right place if you or someone you know is suffering from this pain and you want to help them, read on to know more about solutions to knee pain.
What is the cause of knee pain?
Listed below are the physical conditions or diseases that could be responsible for knee pain,
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Chondromalacia patella (damage of the cartilage under the kneecap)
- Gout (arthritis caused by the buildup of uric acid)
- Baker’s Cyst
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Dislocation
- Meniscus Tear
- Torn ligament
- Bone Tumours
- Accidents and Traumas
Most of these conditions can be treated with physical therapy, medication or injections. If untreated, most of these conditions can aggravate or worsen leading to a surgery for healing.
While we all know about physiotherapy, let’s get to know more about how surgery works and how effective it is.
What Are Knee Replacement Surgeries?
As you grow older, the cartilage that cushioning the knee joint starts wearing out causing friction in the joint, which is a painful experience. This leads to problems with walking, climbing stairs, and sitting. A knee replacement surgery or a knee arthroplasty can help with pain that is unmanageable by other treatments and help you walk easier too.
The procedure involves cutting away your damaged bone and cartilage and replacing it with an artificial joint (prosthesis) made of metal alloys, high-grade plastics and polymers.
What are the types of knee replacements?
- Total knee arthroplasty or total knee replacement: When all the compartments of your knee are severely damaged and irreparable, a total knee prosthesis is advised where the articular surfaces of the knee, the femoral condyles and tibial plateau, are replaced.
- Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty or partial knee replacement: This surgery would be advised if the disease is limited to just one area of your knee and it involves only a portion of the knee to be resurfaced. A smaller incision is made for this procedure, hence, it would not take much time to recover and will be able to return to normal activities sooner.
- Revision knee replacement: A revision knee replacement surgery is not just expensive but very painful, it is basically a redo of the previous surgery. This is either done if the previous knee replacement fails or if the implanted prosthesis wears off over a period.
It is advised that any joint pain, not just knees, should not be ignored and must be treated before it worsens.
