Knee replacement

You may be a good candidate for knee surgery if you have:

• Chronic pain that is not alleviated through nonsurgical options, such as medication and physical rehabilitation
• Pain or stiffness that limits your ability to complete daily activities
• Pain that is present even when resting
• Severe joint degeneration

To ensure you are ready for surgery, your orthopedic team may perform:

• Blood tests and other exams
• Complete medical history assessment
• Physical examinations, including X-rays and other imaging services

Partial knee surgery only replaces the damaged part of the knee joint with a prosthetic implant. The implant matches your specific anatomy, allowing for significant bone preservation and a faster recovery.

An artificial knee has the following three components:

• Femoral component — Replaces the two femoral condyles and the patella groove
• Patellar component — Replaces the bottom surface of the kneecap that rubs against the thigh bone
• Tibial component — Replaces the top of the tibia or shin bone

During knee replacement surgery, the ends of the damaged thigh and lower leg bones, as well as the knee, are usually capped with artificial surfaces lined with metal and plastic. Typically, our orthopedic surgeons replace the entire surface at the ends of the thigh and lower leg bones.

During your hospital stay, a case manager will:

• Help arrange equipment and coordinate resources with a home health agency
• Help determine if inpatient rehabilitation is needed
• Provide a personal assessment and outline some goals for discharge

Physical therapy

The main goal of physical rehabilitation is to allow you to bend the new knee at least 90 degrees. This is enough to complete everyday activities, such as walking, climbing stairs and getting in and out of a chair or a car. Completing physical therapy while in the hospital and after returning home is vital to benefit most from knee replacement surgery.