BLOG – TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT versus PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT by Dr Udai Prakash, Orthopaedic Consultant Hip and Knee specialist

If you have been recommended a knee replacement then you may be a candidate for a partial (uni compartmental) knee replacement.You may be a good candidate for a partial or uni compartmental knee replacement if your arthritis is confined to a single compartment of the knee.

Your knee is divided into three major compartments: The medial compartment (the inside part of the knee), the lateral compartment (the outside part), and the patella femoral compartment (the front of the knee between the kneecap and thigh bone).

Partial Knee Replacement

In a partial knee replacement, only the damaged compartment is replaced with metal and polyethylene (a surgical grade plastic). The healthy cartilage and bone in the rest of the knee is left alone.

Total Knee Replacement is also a highly successful procedure. More than 600,000 knee replacements are performed in the US annually and this number is set to reach 4 million by 2030. Similarly, in India it is thought that over 30,000 are being performed annually and this number is increasing by 15% annually.

Partial knee replacement numbers are much smaller as not all patients are suitable for this type of conservative surgery and not all knee surgeons are trained in performing this surgery.