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Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

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Partial knee resurfacing (PKR) is a surgical procedure used to relieve arthritis in one of the knees in which the damaged parts of the knee are replaced. PKR surgery involves less surgery than a complete knee replacement, a smaller incision and smaller implants.

Indications

PKR may be suitable for patients with moderate joint disease caused by painful osteoarthritis or traumatic injury,[1] a history of unsuccessful surgical procedures or poor bone density that precludes other types of knee surgery.[1] Care must be taken to use hypoallergenic materials, and PKR is contraindicated for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, bones or anatomy that can not support the replacement, neuromuscular disorders, obesity or untreated knee damage.

Benefits

The potential benefits of PKR include smaller incision because the PKR implants are smaller than the total knee replacements, the surgeon may make a smaller incision. This may lead to a smaller scar.[2] Another potential benefit is less post-operative pain because less bone is removed and the patient may have less pain. Also, a quicker operation and shorter recovery period maybe a result ofless bone being removed during the surgery and the soft tissue may sustain less trauma, which may lead to a shorter operation and recovery period[3]. Also, the rehabilitation process may be more progressive.[4]

Risks

Blood clots are the most common complication after surgery. However, a doctor may prescribe certain medications to help prevent blood clots. Infection may occur after surgery. However, antibiotics may be prescribed by a doctor to help prevent infections. Individual patient factors such as your anatomy, weight, prior medical history, prior joint surgeries should be addressed with your doctor.

Surgical information

The surgeon may choose which type of incision and implant he or she should use for your knee. During the surgery, the surgeon may align the instruments to determine the amount of bone that should be removed. The surgeon will remove bone from the shin bone (tibia) and thigh bone (femur). The surgeon may decide to check if he or she removed the proper amount of bone during the surgery. In order to make sure that the proper size implant is used, a surgeon may choose to use a temporary trial. After making sure the proper size implant is selected, the surgeon will put the implant on the ends of the bone and secure it with pegs. Finally, the surgeon will close the wound with sutures.

Foonotes

  1. ^ a b FDA document
  2. ^ Borus, T. and T. Thornhill, Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. J Am Acad Orthop Surg, 2008. 16(1): p. 9-18.
  3. ^ Mullaji, A.B., A. Sharma, and S. Marawar, Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: functional recovery and radiographic results with a minimally invasive technique. J Arthroplasty, 2007. 22(4 Suppl 1): p. 7-11.
  4. ^ Newman, J.H., Unicompartmental knee replacement. Knee, 2000. 7(2): p. 63-70.
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