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Total knee replacement is a surgical procedure to replace the weight-bearing surfaces of the knee joint to relieve pain and disability. It is also known as knee arthroplasty, though a more accurate term may be knee "resurfacing" because only the surface of the bones are replaced.
Total knee replacement is most common for patients with osteoarthritis and other knee diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. For patients with knees that have been severely damaged by arthritis or injury, simple activities (walking or climbing stairs) can pose a big challenge.
Knee replacement surgery can help relieve pain and restore function in severely diseased knee joints. The knee replacement procedure includes preparing the bone, positioning the metal implants, resurfacing the patella, and inserting a spacer.
Signs and Symptoms
- Severe knee pain
- Stiffness that limits everyday activities, including walking, climbing stairs, and getting in and out of chairs
- Moderate or severe knee pain, even at rest
- Chronic knee inflammation
- Knee deformity
- Failure to achieve sustainable improvement with anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, lubricating injections, physical therapy (PT), or other less invasive treatments