Partial (half) knee replacement

Partial (half) knee replacement

Knee Arthroplasty (Knee Joint Replacement)

Knee arthroplasty is a surgical technique used to relieve pain, restore range of motion, and enhance quality of life in individuals suffering from severe knee joint arthritis. Prior to surgery, patients were typically treated with long-term non-surgical treatments (pain medications, intra-articular injections, exercise, activity limits, physical therapy, and rehabilitation), and the patient's quality of life did not suffer as a result of the severity of the pain.

In arthritis, patients first complain of pain. The pain occurs primarily after prolonged standing and walking. Over time, the pain manifests itself with shorter activities and lasts longer.

As the pain becomes persistent, the quality of life of the patients decreases. Calcification of the knee may occur behind the kneecap bone or in the joint (the joint between the thigh bone and the shin bone) or both.

The knee joint consists of three compartments. If there are signs of arthritis in two of these compartments, then total knee replacement should be performed. If arthritis is limited to only one compartment, minimally invasive partial knee replacement (unicompartmental knee replacement) should be preferred.

Total Knee Replacement

It is the fabrication of an artificial joint by covering both sides of a worn joint with specific metal and polyethylene pieces that allow painless joint mobility.
The worn cartilage tissue on the surfaces of the three bones in contact with each other (femur, tibia, and patella) is cut out along with the bone layer, and then prosthesis pieces of appropriate dimensions determined by measurement are attached to the bone surfaces prepared with bone cement called polymethyl methacrylate, which is used as a filler. The joint surfaces are re-covered with metal and plastic pieces using this procedure.

The next day, knee movements are started and the patient can stand up with support. You can be discharged from the hospital when you are able to walk comfortably in the room and corridor. This period may vary from patient to patient and may vary between 3 and 7 days.
It is preferred that the patient is over 60 years of age, but in special cases such as rheumatoid arthritis, renal failure and osteonecrosis, the prosthesis can be applied at an earlier age.
The fit of the knee prosthesis is excellent and its life span has been extended up to 25-30 years without affecting the quality of life. On the other hand, other treatment methods should be tried to the end in people under the age of 50. Preventive treatment methods may be advantageous between the ages of 50-60. Above 60 years of age, it can be easily applied.

Unicompartmental (Half) Knee Replacement

The advantage of a partial knee is that it covers only the damaged cartilage of the knee while preserving the undamaged cartilage. The benefits of this procedure include a smaller wound, faster healing and less bone removal.
A half prosthesis treats only the diseased part of the joint. This means that the healthy part is not sacrificed. Therefore, this surgery can be performed earlier than the other prosthesis and is more comfortable for the patient.

Compared to total knee replacement, its advantages include high patient satisfaction, shorter operation time, shorter hospital stay, minimal blood loss, lower infection rate, more normal knee kinematics, earlier postoperative recovery and better range of motion.

Kinespring Implant System

In the Kinespring method, it is aimed to distribute and absorb the load on the affected joint in knee arthritis. By reducing the load on the joint, the range of motion of the joint is preserved and the articular cartilage is protected.
Unlike prosthetic surgeries, bone tissue and cartilage tissue are not removed during this procedure. It consists of two small plates placed under the skin in the two bones forming the joint and a spring system that connects these two plates.

The spring placed in the knee joint balances the load distribution. When the patient straightens the knee joint and puts weight on it, the spring stretches and distributes the load on the joint. When the knee joint is flexed, the spring relaxes and becomes passive. After the procedure, the majority of patients experience relief from pain due to arthritis. Within two weeks after the operation, the patient is able to fully load the knee.

Revision Knee Replacement

In recent years, the number of cases requiring revision has also increased with the increase in total knee arthroplasty. Approximately 5% of all knee replacement procedures may require revision in the following period.

Reasons for revision include infection, malalignment, trauma, loosening, and pain of undetermined origin.

In recent years, the rate of deep infection after total knee arthroplasty has been reported as 1-2%. Single or two-stage revision surgery can be performed in the treatment of infection.