Knee replacement is a common procedure that can help people overcome chronic knee pain and live more active lives. However, over time, an older knee replacement can become loose or the implant can wear down, causing the instability, stiffness, and pain. If a knee replacement fails, there are options for revision.
The goal of any knee replacement revision is to relieve pain and improve function. During a revision surgery, the surgeon will remove the old implant or components of the prosthesis and replace them with a revision implant. In some cases, the bone around the knee also needs to be rebuilt.
Reasons for Total Knee Replacement Surgery Include:
- Severe knee pain or stiffness that limits your everyday activities, including walking, climbing stairs, and getting in and out of chairs.
- Using a cane or walker
- Moderate or severe knee pain while resting, either day or night
- Chronic knee inflammation and swelling that does not improve with rest or medications
- Knee deformity
- Failure to substantially improve with other treatments or other surgeries
Expectations and Results
- More than 90% of people who have total knee replacement surgery experience a reduction of knee pain and an improvement in the ability to perform everyday activities
- Total knee replacement will not allow you to do more activities than before you developed arthritis
- Most knee replacement implants begin to wear in time.
- Excessive activity or weight may speed up this normal wear advise against high-impact activities such as running, jogging, jumping, or other high-impact sports for the rest of your life after surgery.
With appropriate activity modification, knee replacements can last for many years.
Is Total Knee Replacement right for you?
Bottom line, everyone’s situation and anatomy are different, so speak with your physician and learn about the pros and cons of each surgical option. More and more patients are seeing successful results from MAKOplasty replacement surgery. Both surgical options come with risks, so it is important to fully understand each procedure before making a decision.
For more information, visit www.utahorthopediccenters.com/spencer-hayden-amundsen-md.
