Partial Knee Replacements
Wondering about Knee Replacement in Denver? Panorama has Answers.
Information from Panorama about:
Knee Replacement - Denver
Knee Replacement Surgery - Colorado
Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is changing the way joint replacement surgery is done. MIS causes less trauma during surgery and speeds rehabilitation. Some Total Knee Replacement Surgery in Colorado can be done with MIS. All Partial Knee Replacements can be done with MIS. MIS means an incision of four to six inches with minimal to no incision ofthe quadriceps tendon. A Total Knee Replacement traditional incision is 10-12 inches with a large incision of the quadriceps tendon. The rehab of Partial Knee Replacement patients is remarkably more rapid than Total Knee Replacement patients. Typically, a Partial KneeReplacement patient is walking without support at two weeks, driving also at about two weeks, and requires minimal physical therapy to achieve full functionand full knee range of motion. Most Total Knee Replacement Surgery patients require six to eight weeks of intensive physical therapy and never achieve full function or range of motion.
Although Partial Knee Replacements can provide a knee that functions with normal range of motion, it obviously is not "normal." Impact activities such as running and racquetsports are discouraged with Partial Knee Replacement. The life span of a Partial Knee Replacements iscommonly placed at about 10 years. Inthis time frame the plastic spacer may wear out requiring simply an exchange ofthis part, or the entire metal component may loosen from the bone requiring arepeat Partial Knee Replacement or conversion to a Total Knee Replacements. Also, arthritis of the knee may progress onthe other side of the knee after Partial Knee Replacement, necessitatingconversion to a Total Knee Replacement. Across the board however, Partial Knee Replacement satisfactory resultsare about 85 percent at 10 years. This means that 16 people out of 20 have a very functional knee with minimal to nopain. Total Knee Replacements resultsare somewhat higher in terms of satisfactory results (90 percent) but again, function results are lower than Partial Knee Replacement.
In summary, Partial Knee Replacements provide excellent pain relief and functional status superior to a Total Knee Replacement. Partial Knee Replacement is only available to a limited number of patients with bone-on-bone arthritis of the knee who meet specific criteria. MIS for Partial Knee Replacements is common and speeds recovery allowing patients to return to most regular activities much quicker. Panorama Orthpedics and Spine Center offers Knee Replacement Surgery in Denver, Colorado.
Mark F. Mills, MD
Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center
