Knee-joint replacement is surgery to replace all or part of the knee joint with a man-made, or artificial joint. The artificial joint is called prosthesis.
Damaged cartilage and bone are removed from the knee joint. Man-made pieces are then placed in the knee.
Up to three surfaces of the knee joint may be replaced. They are the:
Some orthopedic surgeons use other materials. Some of these are metal on metal, ceramic on ceramic, or ceramic on plastic.
You will not feel any pain during surgery because you will receive anesthesia, medicine that blocks pain. You will have one or a combination of the 2 types of anesthesia:
After you receive anesthesia, your surgeon will make an incision (cut) over your knee to open it up. This cut is often 3 to 5 inches long. Then your surgeon will:
This surgery usually takes about 2 hours. You will stay in the hospital for 1 to 3 days. Some people need a short stay in a rehabilitation center after they leave the hospital and before they go home.
Some surgeons are using a newer surgery technique called "minimally invasive" knee replacement. This type of surgery uses a slightly smaller surgical cut or incision.
The surgeon will use special instruments to work through the small cut. In minimally invasive surgery, your surgeon will still:
These newer surgery techniques are rapidly changing. The hope is that they will allow for a quicker, less painful recovery from knee-replacement surgery.
Talk with your surgeon about the benefits and risks of these newer techniques, and whether your surgeon has experience doing them.
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