Osteoarthritis in the Knee

Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your body. When arthritis occurs the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones and make up a joint, break down leaving the ends of the bone exposed. This causes pain, deformity, swelling and loss of range of motion. When non surgical treatment has failed, surgery is an option.

If the arthritis involves more than one compartment of the knee, a total knee replacement is a surgical treatment option. A total knee replacement is a major surgery that requires a prolonged course of recovery. Knee replacement surgery can be a life altering procedure to restore range of motion, reduce pain and correct angular deformities. It can be a double edged sword in the sense that there is a high risk in patients who are morbidly obese, smokers, diabetics, and or have vascular disease. Some patients that undergo total knee replacements do not get good results, studies have revealed that up to 23% of patients are unhappy with their total knee.