Primary hip and knee replacements do fail in time for a number of reasons. Primary knee replacements do fail in for a number of reasons. Regular follow-up is essential for people with primary joint replacements. Revising them is highly specialised surgery requiring extensive training and access to sophisticated implants and hospital facilities. The old implant is removed and replaced with new. Surgery may involve use of bonegraft and/ or custom made implants. Identifying failing joint replacements early is crucial for a successful outcome and therefore a regular follow-up by an orthopedic surgeon is advised.
MRS. CK, 62 YEARS, TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT
narrowing of the joint
space before surgery
post-surgery
My knee problems started in 2008. At first, I thought it would go away just the way it had come. By 2011, the pain became very intense. One by one, it slowly took away all the things that I loved doing like shopping, spending time with my grandchildren, even walking. My life just came to a standstill. Even climbing a few steps began to feel like a trekking expedition! At every social function I went to, instead of enjoying myself and interacting with other people, I was always looking for a seat. I couldn’t even stand! I felt isolated, different. It was horrible.
I finally decided to see an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement surgery, who happened to be Dr Udai Prakash. After a thorough examination and assessment, he said that I would benefit from both my knees replaced. My heart sank. I didn’t want surgery. I was a diabetic and had high blood pressure – what if something went wrong? How long before I recovered? My friends and relatives told me that knee replacement surgery does not work and that the knee does not bend after surgery and it is also very painful. But it turns out that six years of home remedies, ayurvedic massage, etc., were merely delaying the inevitable.
Following an x-ray which clearly showed a very deformed and worn out joint, I ended up having a long conversation with the doctor, who was very patient and answered all my queries in a manner that gave me a lot of comfort and confidence in his ability and the hospital. So, I decided to get new knees. What a relief! All the credit goes to my doctor and his staff. They made things so easy during the post-rehab program that recovery was quick.
But above all, it is spending time with my grandchildren that I find most satisfying. With them, I feel young. After all, age is just a state of mind!
PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT
In many cases a total knee replacement is totally un-necessary. A partial knee replacement can be done for limited arthritis of the knee. As one would expect, this is a less invasive operation with a quicker recovery. These replacements last just as long as the total knee replacements and in our opinion give better functional results. Below is a typical case of a patient with limited arthritis of the knee affecting just one of the 3 compartments.