Total Knee Replacement – The Latest Trends

Total knee replacement surgery is well established surgery which provides a pain free, independent life back
to the patients who are crippled by pain and immobility because of arthritis. According to the American
Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 90 percent of people who have a knee replacement have excellent pain
relief. These people are able to perform daily activities and stay active. In many cases, they’re able to resume
activities like golf and walking that their arthritic pain made them give up years ago. About 85 percent of
artificial knees still work after 20 years. Their endurance is one reason that this procedure is so popular. Most
people who undergo a knee replacement are between the ages of 50 and80.The average age is about 70.
About 60 percent of the recipients are women. The procedure has a high success rate and is considered very
safe and effective.

But as demands from knee replacement increase, the research is continuously going on to improve the
outcome of the knees in 100 percent of cases and give them a very long lasting knee replacement with a
normal life where patient can be allowed to do all activities like kneeling down and even squatting and
running.

The most important factors to look in as latest improvements in knee replacements are mainly 4 as follows :-

• Exact alignment of new knee implant so they last longer ( similar to fitting in new tyres in car with exact alignment and balancing ). For this purpose navigation systems were used but could not prove to make
  any significant difference in results and therefore are not of much clinical significant benefit and their
  use is mainly as marketing tools. Expertise, training and experience of your surgeon is most important factor in achieving alignment consistently.
• Other important aspect is implants size and shapes matches to individual patients to ensure proper fits. as
  one size fits all approach does not work in all. So far only patient specific instrumentation’s are being offered. They are only instrumentation to aid surgeons but this is NOT patient specific implants though this is not uncommon for patients to misinterpret them otherwise. Companies are bringing gender specific knee replacements for male and female patients.
• To aid and to gain near normal movements at replaced knee, the new designs are being used which can full bending of knee like kneeling down, as this is important for religious reasons and social life style in several part of world. These implants, known as Hi Flex knees are very successful in returning the normal knee movements when compared before surgery.
• Now a days, more emphasis is on quicker recovery and minimum pain after the surgery. For this smaller incisions and aggressive pain control measures are being used with excellent outcomes. Now a days patient stay in hospital is decreasing and patients are being sent home earlier due to quicker recovery.
• Partial replacements are gaining popularity as rather than changing the whole knee only part of knee which is damaged is changed. This is called unicondylar knee replacements. In suitable patients this procedure results in quicker recovery and almost full normal functions of the knee. Not all patients are suitable for this partial replacements.

This is exciting times as knee replacement. Now a day this is very common to get impressed by aggressive marketing claims. Therefore, when choosing the surgery for knee replacement, the most important factor is to trust on expertise and experience of your surgeon and discuss the best option for you.