Knee replacement surgery is an operation which is performed when the joint is destroyed by conditions like arthritis and cancer. In this procedure the damaged bones and cartilages are removed and replaced with artificial implants made of metal and plastics according to Mayo Clinic.
Knee replacement surgery can be total, partial or minimally invasive. During total knee replacement, the patient is given anesthesia to block pain before the orthopedic surgeon makes a cut on the skin over the joint, removes the destroyed tissues and replaces them with a prosthetic joint. This implant is secured in position with bone cement and the wound closed with sutures or stitches.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine states that partial knee replacement surgery involves removing the damaged tissues from only one side or compartment of the knee. Candidates for partial knee replacement surgery are those with minor deformities of the knee who still have a good range of joint motion. Though most of these patients are relatively inactive older patients, they are not morbidly obese.
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons minimally invasive knee replacement surgery utilizes a smaller incision on the skin and the cutting of fewer muscles to expose and replace the damaged joint. Though the same implants are used for both total knee replacement and minimally invasive replacement, special surgical instruments are used to prepare the bones and insert them. Candidates for minimally invasive knee replacement are younger and healthier than those who undergo the traditional surgery. They are also not very muscular or overweight and they tend to never have had prior knee operations.
Written by: Marian Kim, Rust Built, Marketing Services
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