About Knee Replacement

Total or partial knee replacement?

Total knee replacement may remove both the diseased and healthy parts of the joint, and provides a simplified mechanism to that of the natural knee.   Even with twenty years of research and experience, the researchers and developers are still unable to provide an identical substitute that mirrors the natural movements of the knee. 

In some cases, only one side of the knee is affected and the tendons and cartilage of the rest of the knee are healthy. For patients with minimal cartilage damage, an alternative could be a ‘half’ or partial knee replacement such as the Oxford^® Partial Knee, which only removes the diseased areas of the bone, leaving the rest of the healthy knee intact.  In patients with only limited knee arthritis, known as medial compartment arthritis, surgeons may choose to perform a partial knee replacement.
 

Total Knee Replacement

For many years, the most successful treatment for severe arthritis of the knee has been total knee replacement. Twenty years of gradual improvements has made this the most reliable and lasting treatment for the relief of pain and restoration of movement for patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Total knee replacement removes the diseased area of the knee which include cartilage, bone and menisci.  The menisci are located between the bone ends in each compartment, which allows the bones to slide forwards and backwards on the tibia, or 'shin', tracking the motions of the femur (thigh bone), making it a smooth movement.

Partial Knee Replacement

This procedure preserves the healthy parts of the joint, and only replaces the damaged side of the knee, leading to an artificial joint with a function that is closer to the natural knee movement, particularly in high stress activities such as climbing stairs, because the kinematics of the knee are more completely restored.

Knee osteoarthritis usually occurs first in the medial (inside) portion of the joint. In knees that are otherwise healthy, a partial knee implant procedure can preserve the healthy bone, cartilage, and ligaments.