Total Knee Replacement

Knee arthritis causes pain, stiffness and swelling
Early arthritis can be helped by anti-inflammatories, physiotherapy or injections into the joint
Severe arthritis requires knee replacement surgery
About 90% of knee replacement patients report excellent results, with loss of pain and significant improvement in function
About 95% of knee replacements are still working fine after 15 years, with about 80% still working well after 20 years

For those patients where there is significant arthritis in the knee, and where the cartilage covering the bone within the knee has worn away, replacement of the knee with an artificial joint can offer excellent pain relief and restoration of function.

Replacement of a knee joint with a Total Knee Replacement (TKR) involves taking a thin section of bone away from the end of the femur (thigh bone) and another section of bone away from the top of the tibia (shin bone). The bone ends are then replaced by metal surfaces, which are cemented in place with a special bone cement. A polyethylene (plastic) spacer is then placed in between the two metal surfaces. The back of the patella (kneecap), where it rubs against the front of the knee, may also be replaced with a new plastic surface cemented in place, depending on how bad the cartilage damage is in that area.

TKR is a major procedure, which is normally undertaken under a general or a spinal anaesthetic. The operation lasts in the region of 1 to 3 hours, and normally requires a hospital stay of 4 to 10 days, depending on the patient's age and general fitness. It can then take anything up to 3 months for the muscles around the knee to begin to heal up fully and for patients to begin to feel the real benefit of the surgery.