Knee joint replacement is a very effective treatment for the painful arthritic knee.

What is the most common type of knee arthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of knee arthritis. Also called wear-and-tear arthritis or degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is characterised by progressive wearing away of the cartilage of the joint. As the protective cartilage is worn away by knee arthritis, bare bone is exposed within the joint.

Who develops knee arthritis?
Knee arthritis typically affects patients over 50 years of age. It is more common in patients who are overweight, and weight loss tends to reduce the symptoms associated with knee arthritis. There also seems to be a genetic predisposition for this condition, meaning knee arthritis tends to run in families. Other factors that can contribute to developing knee arthritis include trauma to the knee, meniscus tears or ligament damage, and fractures to the bone around the joint.

When do I need a knee joint replacement?
When your day-to-day activities such as getting up from a chair or going up or down stairs are limited by knee pain or you are waking at night with pain. Essentially when pain from your arthritic knee is significantly affecting your quality of life, and you have tried other non operative measures, it is time to consider knee joint replacement surgery.

What is a knee replacement?
The worn joint surfaces are removed with precise bone cuts and replaced with metal components with a plastic insert as the new bearing surface. Sometimes it is necessary to place a plastic button on the undersurface of a worn knee cap.

For a fairly comprehensive overview of knee joint replacement please click here for a link to the Arthritis Research UK website.