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How Will Total Knee Replacement Surgery Effect My Life?

Following your knee replacement surgery, you will see a big difference in your life in terms of reduction of pain and increase in mobility. However, before you decide to have knee surgery, it is important to understand that you cannot expect miracles from it. You can realistically expect to return to normal activities of daily living with reduced pain.

While total knee replacement surgery is something of a miracle surgery, with more than a 90 percent success rate in terms of reduction of pain and return to ADL (activities of daily living), it is important to keep its potential in perspective and be realistic about what it can do for you. It will not increase your athletic abilities, for example. If you were not a super-star athlete before, you will not be one following knee replacement surgery.

Additionally, it is important to remember that you must avoid some activities after surgery, even if they were activities you enjoyed before surgery. Jogging and high-impact sports must be given up.

Understand that you can greatly increase the life of your total knee replacement with proper care. Overuse can cause the plastic cushion in your knee replacement to wear out. This will make your knee replacement loose and painful. This is why it is important to engage in moderate exercise and not accelerate the wear and tear of the components of your knee replacement.

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During your evaluation, your orthopedic surgeon will talk with you and do a few tests:

Medical History: You will be asked questions about your general health and about the level of pain and functioning you are experiencing with your knee.

Second, you will have a physical examination to determine the general alignment of your leg as well as your ROM (range of motion) and the strength and stability of your knee.

Third, the amount of deformity and damage will be assessed using x-ray.

A variety of tests, including MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), blood tests, and bone scan will be conducted to determine the condition of the soft tissues and bones of your knee as well as your general physical condition.

You will have a consultation with your orthopedic surgeon to discuss the pros and cons of total knee replacement surgery and the other options that may be available to you. These may include alternate surgery, medication, injections, and/or physical therapy. Armed with this knowledge, you will be able to make an informed decision about your course of treatment.

Your orthopedic surgeon will also explain the risks that are involved in the surgery, as well as the rehabilitation period and living with a total knee replacement.

Dr. Tarlow is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 20 years specializing in knee surgery. He opened his own clinic, Advanced Knee Care, with a focus on specialty patient care. Click here to learn more about Dr. Tarlow, knees and partial and total knee.

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Have you tried everything to get some relief from your knee pain? If you are no stranger to braces, canes, cortisone injections, and other methods of dealing with knee pain, yet you still have knee pain, you may want to consider total knee replacement. This successful, time-tested method of eliminating knee pain and returning mobility may be exactly what you need.

When you are having problems with stair climbing, walking, standing up, sitting down, and even resting comfortably, you know the time has come to make some real decisions regarding the relief of your knee pain.

Total knee replacement surgery is one of the most popular surgeries in the world for good reason. This technique has been around since 1968. It was a boon for orthopedic surgery when it first came into use, and it has only improved in every way since that time. With modern techniques and top-of-the-line materials, over 581,000 patients a year are able to find relief from knee pain in the U.S.

Whether you are just beginning to think about knee replacement or have actually already made the arrangements with your orthopedic surgeon, this article should be useful to you in answering some of the most common questions about total knee replacement surgery.

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How Is The Knee Put Together?

Three bones make up the knee. The thigh bone, the shin bone, and the knee cap. Your orthopedic surgeon may refer to these as the femur, the tibia, and the patella - respectively. As the largest and most used joint in the body, the knee is most likely to be injured.

The bones of the knee are held together and stabilized by ligaments. These are called the medial and lateral collateral ligaments and the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments.

The thigh muscles are also an important part of the composition of the knee. The strength of the thigh muscle determines the strength and stability of the knee.

Articular cartilage is a substance that pads the knee and keeps the bones from grinding against each other. This smooth material forms a cushion that allows the parts of the knee to move freely. Additionally, fibrous semicircular rings of cartilage tissue called the medial and lateral menisci absorb shock and stabilize the knee.

The parts of the knee are coated and lined with synovial membrane. In healthy knees, this thin membrane produces a lubricating fluid that keeps friction to a minimum.

When perfectly balanced, the knee operates smoothly and efficiently. However, it is easy for the knee to suffer injury or become the victim of arthritis. When this happens, the balance is thrown askew. The result is pain and a loss of strength and mobility.

The usual candidate for total knee replacement surgery is between the ages of sixty and eighty; however, this is not always the case. Many very young patients and many very old patients have also had successful knee replacement surgery for everything from juvenile arthritis to degenerative arthritis to injury. When your orthopedic surgeon evaluates your case, he or she will look more at your pain and your loss of mobility than at your age.

Dr. Tarlow is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 20 years specializing in knee surgery. He opened his own clinic, Advanced Knee Care, with a focus on specialty patient care. Click here to learn more about Dr. Tarlow, knee surgery and partial knee.

Knee surgery is a remarkably successful operation. Generally speaking, it is completely successful ninety-eight percent of the time. A rare two percent of patients may contract an infection of the knee joint following surgery. Extremely rare, indeed, are those patients who have serious complications such as stroke or heart attack.

In the event of chronic illness, the chance of complication rises. Chronic illness may also cause rehabilitation to take a longer period of time, and chronic illness may hinder complete recovery.

A fairly commonly experienced complication of knee surgery is clotting in the veins of the leg. You can avoid this by simply following your orthopedic surgeons orders. You will be sent home with instructions to elevate your legs on a regular basis, perform prescribed exercises, perhaps take blood thinning medications, and perhaps even use support stockings. Be sure to follow these instructions to the letter, and you should have no problems.

Sometimes the components of the replacement may loosen or the bearing surfaces may become worn. This is quite rare because the materials and techniques used for knee replacement surgery are quite sophisticated and of the highest quality.

Although a patient can usually expect to have a ROM (range of motion) of 115 after surgery, there are some exceptions. For example, if you had very limited ROM (range of motion) before the surgery, it will be quite likely to be somewhat limited after the surgery. Additionally, on very rare occasions, damage to the blood vessels or nerves of the knee may occur. This can limit motion somewhat.

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If you have concerns about complications, discuss them thoroughly with your orthopedic surgeon.

What to Expect During Home Recovery

Ninety percent of the time, you can expect your knee replacement to last for 10 years or so. To be sure you get the most use possible from your knee replacement, follow the instructions your orthopedic surgeon will give you. Elevate your leg, do your prescribed exercises, take blood thinning medications as instructed, and use support stockings if your doctor tells you to. By doing this, you will greatly extend the life of your knee replacement implant.

Caring For Your Wound During Home Recovery

You can expect your wound to be closed by either exterior sutures or staples or interior sutures. In the case of exterior closure, your orthopedic surgeon will want to see you again in a few weeks for removal. If you have subcutaneous sutures, you will not need to return for removal. They will dissolve on their own.

Keep your wound dry until it is completely healed. You can place a bandage over it to protect it from rubbing against your compression hose or your clothing.

Do Your Prescribed Exercises

After your surgery, be sure to do the exercises your orthopedic surgeon prescribes. At first you may feel some pain during exercise and also at night when you are resting. This is to be expected and will subside. You will be able to resume your regular activities 3-6 weeks after surgery.

How Will Knee Replacement Surgery Affect My Life?

These are questions that are frequently asked by people experiencing knee pain and considering surgery. You will be happy to know that total knee replacement surgery can make a big difference in the amount of pain you are experiencing. It can also help you get back into your life as an active participant. However, it will not perform a miracle on your general quality of life and level of activity and ability.

With more than 90 percent of knee replacement recipients reporting markedly reduced pain and dramatically improved mobility, this is a very popular and successful surgical procedure. While it can surely improve your life, it is important to understand that it will not give you any abilities you did not have before the surgery. It will simply give you a non-diseased knee that will allow you to perform your activities of daily living relatively pain free.

In fact, there may be some activities you will need to give up. If you have been doing very strenuous, active, high-impact sports, you should not do them with your knee replacement. Also, you must not jog.

In fact, you will want to handle your knee replacement with some care to extend its life. If you overuse your knee, you will cause excessive wear and tear on the plastic cushion. When it wears out, it will loosen, causing you pain. Following your total knee replacement surgery, it will be important to engage in only light to moderate exercise on a regular basis.

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During an orthopedic evaluation, you can expect the following:

A medical history covering your general health condition and the symptoms you are experiencing with your diseased/damaged knee will be taken.

A physical examination including tests to determine your ROM (range of motion) and the stability and strength of your knee and alignment of your leg will be conducted.

The degree of damage and deformity present in the knee will be determined by x-ray.

Fourth, a battery of tests will be taken. These may include a bone scan, blood tests, and an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

You will have a consultation with your orthopedic surgeon to discuss the pros and cons of total knee replacement surgery and the other options that may be available to you. These may include alternate surgery, medication, injections, and/or physical therapy. Armed with this knowledge, you will be able to make an informed decision about your course of treatment.

Your orthopedic surgeon will also inform you about any risks involved in the surgery, rehabilitation and living with a total knee replacement.

Recently, minimally invasive knee replacement has made a mark in the world of orthopedic surgery. This technique is a tremendous advance in performing total knee replacement surgery. It is also a far more challenging surgery.

The incisions used in minimally invasive knee surgery are about half the size of those used in standard knee replacement surgery. Because of this the joint is less exposed. This results in less pain, a shorter hospital stay and faster rehabilitation.

Patients who are not overweight, are relatively active with a fair amount of ROM (range of motion), and have no strong deformity of the knee(s) do well with this technique. They can enjoy a brief stay in the hospital of no more than 3 days. Inpatient rehabilitation will be speedy or nonexistent.

One thing you should keep in mind is that these findings are somewhat disputed. Most studies find the above statements to be true. There are, however, some studies that show that the pain experienced, length of hospital stay, and intensity of rehabilitation are the same as that one would experience with traditional total knee replacement surgery.

Another thing to consider is the fact that the risks of this surgery have not been formally studied or documented; however, they are surely quite similar to those of any other knee replacement surgery. For the most recent information on this, consult your orthopedic surgeon.

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Your Hospital Stay

After your surgery, you will probably have a brief stay in the hospital. You may be experiencing a bit of pain after surgery, but you will be given medications to manage it.

You should talk with your orthopedic surgeon about pain medications before your surgery. In this way, you will not experience any surprises in this important area of your recovery. Also, discuss movement and exercise. Be prepared to begin your rehabilitation almost immediately after surgery.

After any surgery, it is important to keep your lungs clear. Breathe deeply and cough from time to time to avoid lung congestion.

Your orthopedic surgeon will probably prescribe measures to prevent blood clotting in your leg veins. These measures might include compression boots, elevation, support stockings, and blood thinning medications.

Additionally, you may use an exercise machine called a continuous passive motion (CPM) machine. This machine keeps your leg in constant gentle motion while you are at rest. It also keeps your leg elevated. The combination of motion and elevation increases flexibility of the knee while reducing the risk of clotting.

Knee pain is usually caused by arthritis. There are three common types of arthritis: rheumatoid, traumatic, and osteoarthritis.

Traumatic Arthritis: Injury causes traumatic arthritis. A fractured knee or torn ligaments cause excessive wear and tear on the knee causing the articular cartilage to break down. This painful condition can only become worse with the passage of time.

Rheumatoid arthritis causes the synovial membrane to produce too much fluid. The fluid overfills the joint space, thickens, and becomes inflamed causing damage to the knees cartilage. This chronic condition causes loss of cartilage, stiffness and pain.

If the cushion of cartilage in the knee wears out, it leaves the bones to grind against each other. This extremely painful condition is known as osteoarthritis. It is usually a problem for people over fifty years old, especially those who have a history of osteoarthritis in the family.

Knee Replacement May Be the Answer

Meet with your family, your doctor and your orthopedic surgeon to discuss the pros and cons of total knee replacement. Your doctor is likely to refer you to an orthopedic surgeon who will give you all the details of the operation and explain the alternatives. You will learn about alternative surgeries, such as unicompartmental knee replacement and minimally invasive knee replacement. With this information, you will be able to make an informed decision.

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Here are some good reasons to have total knee replacement surgery:

You have tried everything and nothing else works. If you have done exercises, physical therapy, cortisone injections, and even lesser types of surgery without relief, it is time to try total knee replacement.

Inability to Perform Activities of Daily Living: Problems sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of a car, or problems with other common everyday activities indicate a need for total knee replacement surgery. Reliance on an assistive device such as a walker or cane is also an indication.

You need total knee replacement surgery if:

Your knee hurts so much you cant bend it or straighten it.

Your knee hurts even when you are resting it.

You are knock-kneed or bow-legged and it is causing pain and problems.

Your aspirin or ibuprofen dont work any more. Understand that these medications are good for early symptoms, but as your pain worsens, they cant keep up.

Continued inflammation and swelling of the knee(s) even after rest and treatment with medication.

Over time, medications in general tend to lose effectiveness. The efficacy of a medication will vary from one person to another. If your arthritis is severe, your medications are very likely to lose effectiveness as the disease progresses. Additionally, you may develop a tolerance for or a reaction to a medication if you take it over a long period of time.