Knee replacement surgery is one of the best treatment options for severe knee pain due to osteoarthritis. Hence, Total knee replacement surgery has become a very common surgery these days in India and abroad. It is equally common in Mumbai. A Patient’s above the age of 55 years, with a complain of arthritic knee pain, would be recommend a total knee replacement surgery by his or her treating orthopaedic.
Not all patient need Total Knee replacement. If only a section of the knee joint is damaged while the other sections are relatively healthy a Partial Knee Replacement Surgery should be preferred. In Partial knee replacement, only the damaged part of the knee joint is precisely removed and replaced. This allows the patient to retain most of the natural components of the knee. As the natural knee components are protected the patients feel more comfort and show better adaptability to the implants as compared to a total knee replacement implant.
You must be wondering, if partial knee replacement helps save part of the knee and provides better comfort then why is it not recommended often. Well for one the surgery requires more precision than replacing the whole knee. It is also a rather complicated surgery to perform. Consequently, the outcome of partial knee replacement surgery highly depended on the expertise of the doctor, in the olden days. However, with the new age image-guided technology partial knee replacement surgery has become easier and more accurate. Dr. Shailendra Patil is one of the few knee replacement surgeons in Mumbai who has expertise in performing partial knee replacement surgery.
In Mumbai, not many patients are recommended Partial Knee Replacement even though they are ideal candidates for this surgery. Take the case of patient Mrs. Chaya Udamle, a 58 year old women, who was suffering from severe knee pain for over a year. She consulted many orthopaedic doctors. Most of the orthopaedics recommend her to undergo Total Knee replacement surgery. Unconvinced, she consulted Dr. Shailendra Patil in Thane. He examined her knee X-ray and did a through clinical evaluation. He diagnosed that only one compartment of the knee was affected due to arthritis. Hence, he suggested a Partial knee replacement as a total knee replacement would be an overkill. Post Partial knee surgery Mrs. Chaya, is able walk for long hours, without any pain and retains most of the natural knee.
About Knee compartments and arthritis of the Knee: The knee has three compartments — the medial compartment (inside aspect of the knee), the lateral compartment (outside of the knee) and the patellofemoral compartment (in front of the knee). In almost 80% of the cases the arthritis begins in the medial section of the knee. As this section get affected the knee pain becomes persistent and sever. If untreated in a timely manner the arthritis further spreads in the other sections of the knee. If the arthritis is detected while it is in the medial compartment a Partial knee replacement may be recommended else a total knee replacement is suggested.
