Surgical Explanations
Rehabilitation Protocols
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unicompartmental Knee Replacement
Patterns of knee arthritis can vary greatly. Most commonly arthritis first involves the inside or medial knee compartment of the knee. The arthritic change has become so significant that with each step the patient experiences excruciating pain over the medial knee. When x-rays show that the wear is limited to the medial compartment, and that conservative measures such as oral anti-inflammatories, protective braces, and joint fluid therapy injections are no longer working, we feel that it is desirable to resurface the affected medial knee only. This means that the patellofemoral (kneecap) and lateral knee compartments are kept intact to function normally. Most important in a unicompartmental knee prosthesis is that the critical anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments within the knee are kept intact. The result of this philosophy is:
•A minimally invasive procedure requiring an outpatient or one night hospital stay.
•A knee which retains all of the normal ligaments and tendons
•A rapid recovery program with return to almost normal function in 6-8 weeks
Unicompartmental prostheses have changed greatly in the last two years. The key to unicompartmental prosthesis success is the introduction of a mobile bearing component which slides and moves much as the normal meniscus cartilage. Several studies show that the majority of patients continue to enjoy a good result after 10-15 years.
We have had the most extensive experience with unicompartmental mobile bearing prosthesis in the Houston area. Unicompartmental prosthesis may not be appropriate for every patient. We analyze each patient with isolated medial compartment arthritis carefully to determine their capability of successful unicompartmental knee replacement. Looking critically at those who are significantly loose jointed or significantly obese will help determine if those within these groups will do better with an all encompassing total joint replacement. |
|
