If you are finding that you or someone close to you are experiencing severe knee pain after having tried all available pain relieving options such as medication or a walking aid to regain mobility, knee replacement might be the next step. However, before making such an important decision, it is best you gain a good understanding of what this surgery entails.
The most common reason for undergoing knee surgery are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or injury. The procedure comprises removing the worn or damaged parts of the knee joint and replacing these with a prosthesis, ‘knee replacement’, allowing you to regain a close to normal movement of the knee.
There are a number of options available to you when considering a knee replacement, and the approaches to choose from are either a total knee replacement or a unicondylar, ‘half’, a knee replacement, depending on how advanced your condition or injury is.