After experiencing pain in your knee and difficulty moving around, you might want to consider talking to your doctor about surgery. A replacement is a common procedure that can give you the mobility back in your knee that you need to walk and perform tasks at home or at work. Here are a few details about the procedure to keep in mind including why it might be needed and what to expect during the recovery process.
Any knee replacement ohio doctor can perform is simply a surgical procedure that repairs the entire joint or a part of the joint. Part of the knee is reconstructed during the surgery along with artificial components being used to replace those that are worn. The surgery is beneficial if you’ve had issues with the cartilage in your knee in the past and experience severe pain or difficulty moving your knee or if you’ve injured your knee and the injury is preventing normal function. Once the surgery is over and you complete any rehabilitation that is needed, then you’ll usually experience less pain and find that it’s easier to move your knee.
Although you might discuss a few options for your knee pain, surgery is beneficial for a few specific issues that you might experience. One of the most common reasons for having a knee replacement would be if you have osteoarthritis. This results in the deterioration of your knee as you get older. While it usually impacts those, who are over the age of 50, younger individuals can experience this type of arthritis as well, especially if they have had injuries or if they have had excessive wear and tear from playing sports. Rheumatoid arthritis is another reason to have a knee replacement as this type of arthritis deteriorates the membrane that is located around the knee. Once this membrane deteriorates, there’s little in the way of cushioning to provide comfort and support while you’re walking or moving around. If you have experienced an injury in the past, then you could have post-traumatic arthritis. This usually occurs if you’ve torn the ligaments or cartilage in your knee and haven’t had the proper treatment for them to be repaired.
You could be a good candidate for a knee replacement if you experience severe pain that prevents you from doing some of the normal activities in your daily life, such as taking care of your home or standing for even short periods of time. You could be a candidate if you experience mild to moderate pain while resting your knee or while you’re sleeping. If there is a deformity of your knee, then surgery would likely be a good option to consider.
If you have a total replacement, then your doctor will replace both sides of your knee. During a partial replacement, only one side is removed and repaired. While this surgery takes less time to perform and has a shorter recovery time, you might experience similar issues in the future, resulting in another knee surgery.