Total Knee Replacement

When might I need a total knee replacement?

If your knee is severely damaged by arthritis or injury, it may be hard for you to perform simple walking or climbing stairs. You may even begin to feel pain while you are sitting or lying down.

If nonsurgical treatments like medications, injections, weight loss and using a cane or a walker are no longer helpful, you may want to consider total knee replacement surgery. Joint replacement surgery is a safe and effective procedure to relieve pain, improve function, correct leg deformity, and help you resume normal activities.

Currently, several options exist for non-surgical treatment of knee arthritis: medications (acetaminophen or NSAIDS), activity modification, weight loss, physical therapy, and injections (corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid).

Once you have tried non-surgical treatments and they are no longer effective, you may consider a total knee replacement. The surgery is designed to improve pain and function.  

You may also need a total knee replacement if you suffer a severe knee injury or have other degenerative diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

How is a total knee replacement performed?

During a total knee replacement, Dr. Park first removes the damaged cartilage, bone, and other tissues from your kneecap and the ends of your femur (thighbone) and tibia (shinbone). After he cleans and removes the arthritic bones, he attaches the prosthetic implants to the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shinbone) using bone cement.

Dr. Park then places a plastic liner between the two metal prostheses, which replaces the cartilage and allows smooth movement.

What is knee revision surgery?

A total knee replacement is a highly successful procedure, replacing your painful, damaged knee with a prosthetic joint that usually lasts 15-20 years. However, with the current technology, on-going investigations have shown that well-placed knee replacement may last longer.

In rare cases, the knee replacement may fail, which means that one or more components have loosened and must be redone with revision surgery.

Revision surgery can be more complex than your original surgery, depending on the reason your knee replacement loosened. Dr. Park may need to remove and replace one or more of the original components. If the bone is damaged, he may need to rebuild the bone and use specialized prosthetic implants that provide extra support.

What is knee infection surgery?

After you undergo a total knee replacement, you have a very small risk (approximately 1%) of developing an infection in the joint, which is a devastating complication.

Infections can spread from anywhere in your body and at any time, from right after your surgery to many years later

Your risk for a joint replacement infection increases if you have an immune deficiency, smoking history,  diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis or other inflammatory arthritis, prior history of joint infection, or peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Patients receiving immunosuppressive treatments such as chemotherapy and immunomodulators are also at a higher risk.

An infection that’s established deep in the joint requires surgery to clean away the infected tissue, remove the knee prosthesis and place an antibiotic cement spacer. You will require antibiotic therapy for several weeks afterward.

To learn more about knee replacement surgery, call the Houston office of Kwan (Kevin) Park, MD, or book an appointment online today.