Unicompartmental Knee Replacement

Service Description

UNICOMPARTMENTAL (PARTIAL) KNEE REPLACEMENT DURING KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY, BONE AND CARTILAGE DAMAGED BY OSTEOARTHRITIS ARE RESURFACED WITH METAL AND PLASTIC COMPONENTS. IN UNICOMPARTMENTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT (ALSO CALLED PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT) ONLY A PORTION OF THE KNEE IS RESURFACED. THIS PROCEDURE IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT FOR PATIENTS WHOSE DISEASE IS LIMITED TO JUST ONE AREA OF THE KNEE. BECAUSE A PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT IS PERFORMED THROUGH A SMALLER INCISION, PATIENTS USUALLY SPEND LITTLE OR NO TIME IN THE HOSPITAL AND RETURN TO NORMAL ACTIVITIES SOONER THAN TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT PATIENTS. THERE ARE A RANGE OF TREATMENTS FOR KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS, AND YOUR DOCTOR WILL DISCUSS WITH YOU THE OPTIONS THAT WILL BEST RELIEVE YOUR INDIVIDUAL OSTEOARTHRITIS SYMPTOMS. IN UNICOMPARTMENTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT, ONLY ONE AREA OF THE KNEE IS RESURFACED. DESCRIPTION IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS, THE CARTILAGE PROTECTING THE BONES OF THE KNEE SLOWLY WEARS AWAY. THIS CAN OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE KNEE JOINT OR JUST IN A SINGLE AREA OF THE KNEE. THE KNEE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE MAJOR COMPARTMENTS: • MEDIAL COMPARTMENT (THE INSIDE PART OF THE KNEE) • LATERAL COMPARTMENT (THE OUTSIDE PART OF THE KNEE) • PATELLOFEMORAL COMPARTMENT (THE FRONT OF THE KNEE BETWEEN THE KNEECAP AND THIGHBONE) A PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT OPERATION TYPICALLY LASTS BETWEEN 1 AND 2 HOURS. INSPECTION OF THE JOINT. YOUR SURGEON WILL MAKE AN INCISION AT THE FRONT OF YOUR KNEE. THEY WILL THEN EXPLORE THE THREE COMPARTMENTS OF YOUR KNEE TO VERIFY THAT THE CARTILAGE DAMAGE IS, IN FACT, LIMITED TO ONE COMPARTMENT AND THAT YOUR LIGAMENTS ARE INTACT. IF DR SNYMAN FEELS THAT YOUR KNEE IS UNSUITABLE FOR A PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT, HE MAY INSTEAD PERFORM A TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT. HE WILL HAVE DISCUSSED THIS CONTINGENCY PLAN WITH YOU BEFORE YOUR OPERATION TO MAKE SURE YOU AGREE WITH THIS STRATEGY.