Knee Replacement Surgery To Correct Damage to Cartilage

Cause for Knee Replacement Surgery:

Knee Pain Osteoarthritis is the main reason patients need to undergo knee replacement surgery. The major problem in this condition is that the cartilage on the surface of the bone of the joint, wears away. This causes bone to rub against bone and the result is a severe pain. Though generally, Osteoarthritis is caused by trauma, it ususally affects multiple members of the same family. This implys that there are hereditary attributes towards the cause of the condition. Up to 60% of Osteoarthritis is caused by genetic factors.

Symptoms:

The condition is usually defined by acute pain. Stiffness and loss of mobility or use of the affected joints are common. The Pain is typically described as a burning or sharp ache. A cracking sound can be heard from joints effected with this condition when they are moved or touched. The condition is also effected by humidity and cold weather negativly.

Surgery Procedure:

Once the knee joint is entered, a special cutting jig is placed on the end of the femur. This jig is used to make sure that the bone is cut in the proper alignment to the leg's original angle. The jig is used to cut several pieces of bone from the distil femur so the artificial knee can replace the worn surfaces with a metal surface. The top of the tibia is cut using another type of jig. The metal femoral component is then placed on the femur. The plastic spacer is then attached to the metal tray of the tibia component. If this component should wear out, while the rest of the artificial knee is sound, it can be replaced. The patella button is usually cemented into place behind the patella.