Answers About Total Knee Replacement
November 14th, 2009 Posted by: John Chang
Have you tried everything to get some relief from your knee pain? If you are no stranger to braces, canes, cortisone injections, and other methods of dealing with knee pain, yet you still have knee pain, you may want to consider total knee replacement. This successful, time-tested method of eliminating knee pain and returning mobility may be exactly what you need.
Knee pain that interferes with the simplest activities - standing, sitting, walking, climbing stairs, and even resting - needs to be addressed decisively.
Total knee replacement surgery is one of the most popular surgeries in the world for good reason. This technique has been around since’68. It was a boon for orthopedic surgery when it first came into use, and it has only improved in every way since that time. With modern techniques and top-of-the-line materials, over 581,000 patients a year are able to find relief from knee pain in the U.S.
Have you spoken with your orthopedic surgeon about knee replacement yet, or are you just starting to think about it? Either way, you are sure to find useful information in this article.
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What Are Knees Made Of?
The shin bone, the knee cap, and the thigh bone are the main components of the knee. In medical terminology, these are called the tibia, the patella, and the femur. Your knee is in almost constant use, and it is the largest joint in your body. For these reasons, you are highly likely to injure your knee or experience some wear and tear at some point in your life.
Holding the knee together are the medial and lateral collateral ligaments and the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments. These strong bands of tissue connect the femur and the tibia and stabilize the knee.
The thigh muscles are also an important part of the composition of the knee. The strength of the thigh muscle determines the strength and stability of the knee.
Articular cartilage forms a pad between the bones of the knee. This pad keeps the bones separated and allows them to move without grinding against each other. With this smooth cushioning your knee can move smoothly and easily. Additionally, the knee comes equipped with natural shock absorbers called the lateral menisci. These are semicircular, fibrous cartilage rings that add stability to the overall structure.
All of the bones of the knee are lined with synovial membrane. This thin, smooth tissue makes a special lubricant that keeps all of the parts of the knee operating smoothly.
All of these parts should work well together and give you a lifetime of painless service. However, because the knee is the most used and most often injured joint in the body, this is often not the case. An injury or illness such as arthritis can throw this delicate balance off. This can cause you loss of mobility and strength, as well as a great deal of pain.
Generally speaking, knee replacement surgery is done in patients ranging in age from sixty to eighty. However, this is not set in stone. Your orthopedic surgeon will look at your disability and your level of pain to determine whether or not you would be a good candidate for total knee replacement surgery. This surgery has been successful in people of all ages - ranging from very young teens with juvenile arthritis, to the very elderly with degenerative arthritis.
