Arthritis Knee Surgery

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Most people try to delay knee surgery for as long as possible by getting synvisc injections, using arthritis knee braces, and by other methods.  However, many people who have undergone knee surgery (especially joint replacement surgery) have reported significantly reduced pain (or even complete elimination of pain).  They reported that the injections did not hurt (beyond the usual prick of the needle), and many regretted not having done it sooner.

Depending on the stage and severity of the arthritis, arthritis knee surgery can be of different types, such as arthroscopy, knee osteotomy and knee replacement surgery.

Arthritis knee surgery is usually recommended depending on the stage of the arthritis. Since arthritis is a condition that gradually destroys the cartilaginous tissue joints are composed of, it usually evolves in stages. In the early stages, physical therapy and anti-inflammatory treatment is the primary treatment for arthritis, but as the arthritis progresses, the need for arthritis knee surgery can become more and more pressing.

Arthroscopy is the least invasive type of arthritis knee surgery and it is used to repair tears in ligaments and cartilage tissue of the knee and other joints. During the procedure, a small, endoscope-like instrument is inserted in the articulation through a small incision. While the efficiency of this procedure for arthritis patients has been questioned, the truth remains that it can be quite beneficial if used in the appropriate situation. Some symptoms that might denote the fact that you need knee arthroscopy are painful knee popping, instability of the knee joint, the sensation that something is catching when the knee joint is in use and swelling.

Knee osteotomy is a type of arthritis knee surgery mostly recommended for younger patients for whom a complete knee replacement surgery is not a viable solution and who only show damage in one portion of the knee joint (some of these cases have bow-legged or knock-legged aspect as a result of the arthritis). It consists of a reorientation of the joint so that the weight center is moved from the damaged area to the healthy area of the joint.

The partial knee replacement surgery can be considered a hybrid between an osteotomy and a complete knee replacement surgery. This type of arthritis knee surgery is considered less invasive than the complete knee replacement, requiring smaller incisions and a shorter recovery time. It consists of the replacement of the damaged portion of the articulation with a prosthetic one, while the healthy rest of the articulation remains intact. It is recommended for cases of severe arthritis that is limited to certain parts of the articulation.

Complete knee replacement surgery is considered the most practical solution in cases of severe arthritis. This arthritis knee surgery consists in the complete removal of the joint tissue and its replacement with prosthetic knee implants made of plastic and metal.

The risks of arthritis knee surgery, aside from the ones that come with any type of major surgery (such as infection, thrombosis, nerve damage and anesthesia risks) are instability of the joint, the dislocation or fracture of the kneecap and reduced range of motion after surgery.

The pros of arthritis knee surgery are improvement in the quality of life, significant reduction or complete elimination of pain, and increased mobility. A full functionality of the joint can be reached for 6 months after surgery. The cons of arthritis knee surgery consist in soreness and discomfort in the days and weeks following the surgery, the potential presence of a noise when the prosthetic joint is in use, movement difficulties in some cases, and a limited duration of use for the replacement knee (10-15 years; up to 20 years if you’re lucky). If we look at the severe pain and discomfort of patients that qualify for arthritis knee surgery and the potential results of such surgery, we realize that the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

So talk to your doctor today about the option of knee surgery – you too may regret not having gotten it done sooner!