Knee Replacement

As women, we are on our feet constantly, causing wear and tear on all the joints, especially the knees. If you’ve tried everything to relieve the pain, and nothing works anymore, it may be time for knee replacement surgery.

If you’re going for total knee replacement, the surgeon will remove all the damaged bone and cartilage and replace it with a new joint made of metal and plastic. In a partial knee replacement, the surgeon will only replace a portion of the joint.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, doctors perform knee replacement surgery on 300,000 Americans every year. If you’re about to become one of them, here’s what to expect from the initial evaluation:

• Your doctor will ask you for a complete medical history, including how your knee pain affects your daily life.
• He/she will conduct a physical exam to test your mobility, stability, strength and leg alignment.
• You’ll receive an x-ray to learn the extent of damage to your bones and cartilage.
• Your orthopedic surgeon will go over the results with you and the two of you will decide whether knee replacement or some other treatment is best.

Other options

• Medications
• Injections
• Physical Therapy

If you opt for surgery, know that you will stay in the hospital for several days, though the actual operation takes only a couple of hours. After surgery, you will feel some pain. Your doctor will talk to you about post operative pain management. But don’t think you’ll be laying around. The best way to recover quickly is to get up and move. In fact, your surgeon may prescribe an apparatus that slowly moves your knee while you’re in bed. The device is called a Continuous Passive Motion Machine(CPM). It helps improve circulation and decreases the amount of swelling in your leg.

Possible side effects

• Scarring
• Blood clots
• Infection

Discuss potential complications with your surgeon before the operation.

What to expect when you return home

• You will have stitches or staples in your knee. Your doctor will remove them in a few weeks. Don’t soak your knee in water until the wound is completely healed.
• You should be up to your normal activity level in three to six weeks. In the meantime, increase your mobility more and more each day.
• Your doctor will prescribe specific exercises to speed recovery. A physical therapist may help you at home or in a therapy center during the first few weeks.
• You should be able to drive four to six weeks after surgery.
• Let your dentist know about your surgery. He/she should give you antibiotics for every dental surgery for the rest of your life.

Your new knee will perform just like your old one, except now you shouldn't run or participate in any other high impact sport. Orthopedic surgeons say the best advice they can give patients is to keep moving those knees! Exercise will keep your knee mobile and make it stronger. Oh, and the biggest problem you’ll probably encounter, is setting off the metal detector at the airport!

Sources: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, National Institutes of Health

woman's knee

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