After a certain age, your body tends to give up on you. All those adventurous dreams you had, to go trekking in the Himalayas for the sake of adrenaline rush of your young blood or simply to transcend your spirituality, your knees surrendered at some point. Fortunately, these days there are numerous comprehensive treatments and surgeries for Knee Replacement.
Knee replacement is a type of arthroplasty. The term Arthroplasty means “the surgical repair of a joint,” and it involves the surgical reconstruction and replacement of degenerated joints, using artificial body parts, or prosthetics. When the articular cartilage of the knee becomes damaged or worn out, it becomes painful and it becomes difficult to move the knee. Instead of sliding over one another, the bones rub and crush together.
With prosthesis, the patient will feel lesser pain, and the knee will move in a proper way.
Why does one need a Knee Replacement Surgery?
One can choose to get a knee replacement surgery based on these reasons –
Osteoarthritis: This is an age-related type of arthritis, caused by the normal wear and tear of the knee joints. It mostly affects patients aged above 60 years, but younger people may also have it.
Osteoarthritis is caused by breakdown, inflammation, and the gradual and eventual loss of cartilage in the joints. Over time, the cartilage wears down and the bones rub against one another. To compensate for this problem, the bones often grow thicker, but this results in extra friction and pain.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: This type of arthritis is also called inflammatory arthritis. The membrane around the knee joint thickens and gets inflamed. Chronic inflammation damages the cartilage, leading to soreness and stiffness in the joints.
Post-traumatic Arthritis: This type of arthritis is caused due to a severe knee injury. When the bones around the knee break or the ligaments tear, this will affect the knee cartilage.
Who might need a Knee Replacement Surgery?
Knee Replacement Surgery is recommended to those who experience severe knee pain or stiffness that hinders their everyday tasks and activities, such as walking, climbing the stairs, getting in and out of cars, getting up from a chair, etc. It is also recommended to those with moderate but continuous knee pain that continues while sleeping or resting. Those with chronic knee inflammation and swelling that does not improve after taking medications or resting can also get the surgery done. Also, those with knee deformity, where there is a noticeable arch on the inside or outside of the knee, and those with depression, resulting from an inability to carry out daily or social activities can opt for the surgery