Advantages and Disadvantages of Total Knee Replacement

Knee replacement surgery does have some disadvantages. You can not squat on the floor. There might be sounds in total knee replacement surgery.

 

Total Knee Replacement

Are you suffering from severe pain, stiffness, and immobility in your knee that affects your ability to work? Does knee pain remain painful despite the use of physiotherapy, steroid injections, exercise, and walking support? Well, it looks like you are a candidate for total knee replacement surgery by publishing free guest posting Mister Meds.

There are many medical conditions that may require knee replacement surgery, and arthritis is the most common of them. Genetics, developmental abnormalities, any type of injury, and obesity are other contributing factors.

Patients who have tried and failed non-surgical means to relieve knee pain, such as weight loss, lifestyle changes, anti-inflammatory medications, or cortisone injections, all to no avail. Replacement surgery can be of great benefit.

Also Read:- Overview Of Joint Replacement Surgery

Also known as knee arthroplasty, this surgical procedure is performed to replace severely diseased or damaged surfaces of the arthritic knee with an artificial metal or plastic part called an 'implant' or 'prosthesis'. Is.

Total knee joint replacement is a surgical procedure that is required for individuals suffering from a condition called arthritis of the knee, which results in extreme pain and swelling in the knee and difficulty in any movement of the knee joint.

Reason

• Joint rupture.
• Extreme obesity that the knees are unable to support the weight of the body.
• genetic factors.
• Knee Injury.

Symptoms

• extreme pain.
• Inability to move the knee.
• Stiffness or swelling in the joints.
• Tenderness along the joints.
• Deformity of the joint (knock-knee or bow-leg).

When other treatments such as medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes (weight loss or therapeutic activities) have failed, the last option that remains is total joint replacement surgery.

Understanding the Surgical Procedure

During surgery, an 8- to 12-inch incision is made in the front of the knee, followed by an injection of general spinal, or epidural, anesthesia. The damaged cartilage of the joint is taken out and replaced with a metal or plastic prosthetic joint that is attached to the thigh bone and knee cap with cement or a special material to hold it together.

With new technological advances in the field of surgery, minimally invasive surgery is used that requires only a three to four-inch cut. When the incision is smaller it is easier during surgery because less tissue is cut. Hence it also reduces pain and speeds up recovery after surgery.

Muscle strength recovers with physical therapy after surgery, although people begin walking with support such as parallel bars or walkers until the joint is strong enough to bear the weight of the entire body. After a few weeks, people begin to walk without assistance and can then perform most daily activities except for heavy physical activity such as running, jumping, etc.

An artificial joint usually lasts 20 years and can last even longer.

Recovery after surgery

• Avoid using stairs.
• Do not bend the leg, keep the knee straight.
• Avoid busy physical activity.
• Avoid sitting and kneeling.
• Use a firm straight-back chair and avoid recliners and couches.
• Avoid getting hurt and falling or slipping.
• Return to activities such as driving and exercise only after you have fully recovered and are reassured by the doctor.

Risks after surgery

• Blood clots may form due to restricted motion which will require thinning of the blood.
• Swelling in the veins can lead to restlessness and numbness.
• Bones may be injured or broken during surgery so treatment is required.
• Infection and bleeding as risks in any operation.
• Altered parts of the joint may become loose or break, but this is a very rare condition.

Surgical observation

Also called total knee arthroplasty, total knee replacement is an ideal option for people with severe destruction of the knee joint, leading to significant pain, stiffness, and impaired function in the knee.

It is a major yet highly successful surgical procedure that involves the replacement of all three compartments of the knee - medial (inside the knee), lateral (outside the knee), and patellofemoral (front of the knee).

In this surgery, arthritis-damaged knee and cartilage bone surfaces are removed and replaced with artificial surfaces (implants) made of metal and plastic materials that act similar to healthy knees.

Advantages

A successful Total Knee Replacement offers tremendous benefits and can greatly enhance your quality of life.

This surgery completely removes the problems of instability, disability, and limited mobility of the knee.

Surgery provides the patient with considerable reduction or even elimination of pain. After surgery, patients can substantially restore the range of motion of the knee.

The painless knee allows patients to maintain a wide range of daily activities, including climbing stairs, shopping, and getting in and out of chairs, thus enabling them to live a normal life.

After the surgery, the patient will experience better muscle strength and better alignment of the deformed joints.

The prosthetic knee can last a long time. Thanks to the latest techniques, about 95% of knee replacements last for 15 years or more.

Disadvantages

Blood clots can develop in the legs, which can lead to the lungs (pulmonary embolism) which can lead to shortness of breath, chest pain, and even shock.

Other risks of total knee replacement include urinary tract infections, nerve damage, and blood vessel injury.

Nausea and vomiting, swelling, chronic knee pain and stiffness, and bleeding in the knee joint are some of the complications that can be experienced after surgery.

In addition, there may be a knee infection in some cases, which requires hospitalization and re-operation.

The biggest disadvantage of Total Knee Replacement is its price. Having a total knee replacement may require you to loosen your pockets. The cost of surgery, however, varies depending on the surgeon's experience and skills, the type of transplant, the extent of the surgery, the hospital, the medications, the special tests, and your insurance coverage.