knee joint replacement

What you need to know before having a knee joint replacement

Many suffer from knee joint inflammation for several reasons, and in some cases the inflammation becomes chronic and does not respond to painkillers or physical therapy, and here comes the decision to replace the knee joint with a new artificial joint.  

Knee joint replacement is one of the most common surgeries in orthopedics and medicine, in which the doctor replaces the worn and injured part of the knee with a new medical artificial joint.

What is the knee joint made of?

The knee joint is the largest joint in the human body and in fact it consists of two joints ; A joint as a result of the confluence of the femur and tibia bones, and a joint between the femur and the patella, and the bony ends are covered with membranes and cartilage that prevent friction between the bones.   This is in addition to a number of ligaments that stabilize the bones and control the rate of movement of the joint in different directions.

These ligaments such as the anterior and posterior cruciate ligament and the internal and external collateral ligament.   The knee joint also contains cartilage consisting of a viscous fluid called synovial fluid and works to reduce friction between the bones during movement and ensures its flexibility and painless performance.

What is a knee joint replacement?

The American Orthopedic Association recommends knee replacement surgery in cases that suffer from violent wear in the joint to restore full joint function and treat the associated pain, and these surgeries have proven high success rates, especially when the surgeon chooses the optimal artificial joint for the patient.  

The artificial knee joint is designed from many materials that are suitable for all cases and different age groups. During the selection, the surgeon relies on the following:  

• The patient's age and weight.
• The general health of the patient.
• The level of daily activity that the patient normally does.

  One of the general advantages of this process is that it is a simple process and takes place in a period of time not exceeding two hours.

Reasons for knee replacement surgery

Chronic knee inflammation leads to the erosion of the cartilage in the joint, which causes continuous pain during movement, and the most common causes of knee inflammation are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid disease.   In the initial stages of inflammation, the doctor prescribes many medications, such as:

• Anti-inflammatories.
• Pain medication.
• Physiotherapy sessions.
• Cortisone injections into the knee joint.
• The doctor also recommends reducing motor activity and losing excess weight in order to relieve pressure on the joint.
• Vasodilator drugs.

  With the failure of these medications to treat the pain and discomfort caused by erosion of the knee joint, joint replacement surgery comes as an ideal solution to treat this problem.

Are there complications after knee replacement surgery?

As with surgeries, there are many complications that may occur during or after surgery, such as:

• Bacterial infection.
• heavy bleeding
• blood clots
• Weakness in the new artificial joint or its movement from its place.
• Bone fracture.
• Persistent feeling of pain and discomfort during movement after the operation.
• Injury to the blood vessels or nerves surrounding the knee, which may lead to complications in the leg after the operation.
• Inflammation of the wound and the occurrence of redness or swelling in it, and then you must go to the doctor immediately.
• Complications as a result of poor general condition of the patient or suffering from other diseases such as blood pressure or diabetes.

Pre-operative preparations for knee joint surgery

Before scheduling the surgery, there are several steps to assess the patient’s health status. The doctor conducts a general examination of the patient starting from the complete medical history and examining vital functions such as blood pressure and blood sugar level. The patient must inform the doctor of the following before performing the operation:  

• All medications, herbs or vitamins he takes regularly.
• If the patient is allergic to anesthesia or some types of medication.
• The patient's previous surgeries.
• If taking anti-coagulant or blood-thinning medications, as these medications increase the rate of bleeding during or after surgery.
• If he suffers from a disorder in blood clotting factors or has previously had bleeding or clots.

What are the steps of knee joint replacement surgery?

1. Knee joint replacement surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia and in most cases, the surgery lasts for two hours at most.
2. The doctor makes a surgical incision over the joint, extracts the eroded affected part, replaces it with an artificial joint, then installs it with stitches.
3. The wound is closed with sutures and the entire wound covered with sterile dressings.
4. After the end of the surgery, the patient stays in the hospital for several days for follow-up, and the doctor advises that it is necessary to move early after surgery.
5. After the patient is discharged from the hospital, the role of the physiotherapist comes to help the patient and rehabilitate him in moving with the new joint, and this may require several treatment sessions.

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