Symptoms > Arthritis Symptoms By Body Part > The Knee > Knee Surgery

Text Size

Knee Surgery

When pain is not helped by other treatments, many people find knee surgery an option well worth pursuing.

Total joint replacement. The most common knee surgery is total knee replacement, a procedure in which the damaged knee joint is removed and replaced with prosthesis of metal, ceramic and/or plastic components. The knee is the most common replaced joint. Knee replacement is an option when irreparable joint damage interferes with function and causes constant pain that is not alleviated by more conservative therapies.

Read “10 Ways to Avoid Knee Surgery.”

Joint replacement surgery improves symptoms, function in older adults with osteoarthritis.

What to consider when making a decision about knee replacement surgery.

Learn more about knee replacement surgery from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Arthroscopy. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive knee surgery performed by inserting a lighted scope and narrow instruments through small incisions in the skin over the knee. Arthroscopic surgery can be used for the following:

• to remove or repair torn menisci
• to repair a torn cruciate ligament
• to trim torn pieces of joint cartilage
• to remove loose bodies
• to remove an inflamed joint lining (synovectomy).

While knee arthroscopy is a procedure that is helpful for many people, there is controversy over the usefulness of some arthroscopic procedures.

Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Little Help for Arthritis

Is Tiger Woods Setting Himself up for Osteoarthritis?

Learn more about knee arthroscopy from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Learn more about surgery, preparing for surgery and recovering from surgery.

Osteotomy. If the damage to your knee is mostly limited to one section, your doctor may recommend a surgery called osteotomy. In an osteotomy, the surgeon reshapes the bones and repositions them to take the weight off of the damaged part of the knee. In doing so it can help relieve pain and improve function, particularly for someone who is not ready to have a total knee replacement. An osteotomy may also be used to correct a broken knee that hasn't healed properly.

Learn more about osteotomy and other knee surgeries from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

John Bruce

21 Oct 2011, 01:24

I had major knee surgery done about 2 years ago and it was disaster. After 2 weeks a really nasty infection set in and that took about 4 weeks to get rid of. After 6 months I was still in pain and even now, after 23 months, i still suffer from pain and stiffness. Unfortunately, open knee surgery was my only choice.
John
My Site: <a href="http://www.irritablebowelsyndromesignsandsymptoms.com">Irritrable Bowel Syndrome</a>

Kerry

21 Oct 2011, 00:53

Thank goodness many knee operations can now be done using minimally invasive methods. Arthroscopy is becoming commonplace and provides so many benefits to open knee surgery.
Quicker healing and less pain being two.

Kerry
http://orthopedickneesurgery.net

Kathryn

16 Oct 2011, 05:55

I had knee surgery on my right knee a few months ago. I got a lot of useful information from this website on all sorts of <a href="http://orthopedickneesurgery.net">knee surgery issues</a>. I'm glad I was able to opt for an arthroscopy and didn't have to undergo a full blown knee operation.

Carole Brady

26 Nov 2010, 16:38

I have had left and right knee total knee replacements done. My first one was a sucess the first time. The right one has been replaced 2 more times after the first one. I would encourage everyone to look into everything else possible before lettint anyone cut me open again. I am still in pain and there is nothing else that can be done for me.

S Morris

22 Nov 2010, 03:28

I have moderate to severe osteoarthritis in both knees. In 09/06 I had complete knee replacement on the right knee because it was bone on bone and painful to walk. After the replacement I fell on both knees in 10/07 and again in a parking garage in 05/08. Both knees are quite painful on rising and sitting so knee replacement doesn't rid you of the arthritis or of its pain entirely. I would be thrilled if someone could give me something for the pain that would actually help. I have had Synvisc and Halagen injections without success. Celebrex and Tylenlol may numb pain slightly, but it definitely doesn't help greatly. I have RLS and the knee pain aggravates the RLS, which is why it's 3:25 am and I'm composing a long comment.

The comment function provides the opportunity to comment on the content above.

General comments or questions to Arthritis Today editors and medical experts can be submitted here. Past medical questions and answers are available here.

Promotion of products and services and other inappropriate comments are prohibited and will be removed. If you spot one of these before we do, please send an alert.

All fields are required but only your name and comment will be displayed. Your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose.

Name:
Email:
Text:
Enter the words shown above separated by space Enter the numbers you hear

Knee Surgery

Leave a Comment