Hugh Blackley Unicompartmental Partial Knee Replacement Surgery

Unicompartmental Knee Joint Replacement Surgery

Knee joint replacement surgery may be total where both sides of the knee joint are replaced, or uni-compartmental where only one side of the knee joint is replaced. The procedure is performed by separating muscles and ligaments around the knee to expose the knee capsule, and then the inside of the joint.

Knee replacement is surgery for people with severe knee damage. Knee replacement can relieve pain and allow you to be more active. Your doctor may recommend it if you have knee pain and medicine and other treatments are not helping you anymore

Unicompartmental Knee Replacement Surgery

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is a minimally-invasive procedure to replace one of the knee’s three parts (thighbone, shinbone, or kneecap) to restore function. Because only part of the damaged knee is replaced, it is often called a partial knee replacement.

Arthritis of the Knee Joint

Arthritis destroys the cartilage covering the ends of bones. The normally smooth joint surfaces become rough and uneven. As a result, the joint cannot move smoothly. It becomes stiff, and swollen, causing pain and limited movement

Arthritis of the Knee joint may be caused by:

age-related osteoarthritis (wear -and-tear arthritis)
chronic inflammatory disease ( rheumatoid arthritis)
traumatic arthritis , which can occur after a fracture or other bone injury
some birth defects and growth disorders

Reasons for Unicompartmental Knee Joint Replacement

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty may be considered in patients with the following conditions:

Osteoarthritis of the knee
Knee deformity
Refractory osteomalacia
Avascular and aseptic necrosis

Today, the procedure offers many benefits over total knee replacement:

A smaller incision. The incision used in Unicompartmental Knee joint Replacement is about 2 to 3 times smaller than the one required by total knee replacement. A smaller cut means less blood loss, less tissue damage, and a faster recovery.
Better range of motion after surgery.
Shorter hospital stay.
Costs less. Unicompartmental Knee joint Replacement costs about half that of total knee replacement.
If needed, the implant can be easily converted to a total knee replacement.

Pain relief is the same for both procedures.

Further Information Knee Replacement Surgery

If you have any queries on Knee Joint Replacement Surgery please do not hesitate to contact Dr Hugh Blackley's practice rooms during office hours on 09 522 2980