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Minimally Invasive Knee Joint Replacement A Giant Step Forward in Knee Replacement. MIS Knee Joint Replacement is a giant step forward in knee replacement for a number of reasons, which may include a shorter hospital stay, less blood loss and potentially less scarring. As you review this pamphlet, make a note of anything you don’t understand. Your orthopedic surgeon will be happy to answer your questions so that you’ll feel comfortable with your chosen treatment plan. Knee Replacement Knee replacement is a surgical procedure — performed in the US since the 1960s — in which a diseased or damaged joint is replaced with an artificial joint called a prosthesis. Made of metal alloys and high-grade plastics (which are intended to mimic the function of bone and cartilage, respectively), the prosthesis is designed to move just like a healthy human joint. Over the years, knee replacement techniques and instrumentation have undergone countless improvements. Today, knee replacement is one of the safest and most successful types of major surgery; in well over 90% of cases it is complication-free and results in significant pain relief and restoration of mobility. What is Partial Knee Replacements and Selective Knee Resurfacing? ONE-OF-A-KIND APPROACH... Partial knee replacements have been designed for the growing number of patients who want the potential benefits of minimally invasive resurfacing approach to their knee pain. FINALLY- the real alternatives to total knee replacements. The long-term results have been documented and published.(1) Historically, Selective Knee Resurfacing has been referred to by a number of different terms. You may have heard the terms Partial Knee Replacement or maybe even Unicompartmental Knee Replacement, or even Uni Knee. All these refer to Selective Knee Resurfacing. Why is the term Selective Knee Resurfacing a better description of this remarkable operation? The reason is that in this procedure your knee joint is not actually replaced at all. Unlike a total knee replacement where the entire knee joint is fully exposed and removed with large amounts of bone and all the ligament supports, knee resurfacing only removes the surface of the diseased arthritic, bone-on-bone part of the joint and the surgeon literally caps this surface with the highest quality metal and ultra high density polyethylene components.  The Knee Has Three Separate Surfaces - Solutions for Any and All Parts to Avoid Total Knee! Since the knee has three separate sections, there is an opportunity to SELECTIVELY replace only the diseased section. This can be the space between the femur and the tibia, between the patella and the femur and both small sections of the joint. Doctors Heilig and Grau regularly performs four separate types of knee procedures that are perfectly matched to your needs. These include the following:
How is the Surgery Actually Performed? Unlike the traditional total knee replacement, knee resurfacing is the only true minimally invasive knee operation to remove arthritis. Performed through a 3 inch incision in an ultra-sterile operating room environment, only the diseased portion of the knee is exposed. Using a combination of highly-engineered guides and navigation tools, the arthritis at the end of the thigh bone (femur) and the top of the leg bone (tibia) is removed with great care to retain the rest of the knee and all the ligaments. The combination super metal alloy replacement and polyethylene resurfacing components are bonded permanently in place. The minimal incision is then closed. Why is the Recovery So Much Less Painful and More Rapid Than Total Knee Replacement? The first has to do with the highly targeted and selective nature of the operation. So much less normal skin, supporting structures, and bone is operated on the pain is restricted to the small area of resurfacing. Additionally, Doctor's Heilig and Grau's delicate tissue management in the operating room adds to the minimal trauma to the knee as a whole. How Fast Can I Recover? While recovery from surgery is always a personal journey, you can expect recovery from Selective Knee Resurfacing to be as much as six times faster than total knee replacements. Patients in our practice have walked into the office without even the use of a cane in as short as ten days! Most patients can reach this goal in as little as 3 weeks. Your individual recovery may be less or more than this, of course. Why Do Your Knee Resurfacing Patients Tell Me That the Resurfaced Knee Feels Very Much Like Their Knee Did Before They Even Had Arthritis? They say this because it often happens that way. In total knee replacements, removing that much bone and ligaments can make your knee lose its sense of being part of your body. Not having your own ligaments anymore prevents you from moving and adjusting to the many demands that you may place on your knee. Selective Knee Resurfacing keeps those ligaments and so much of your own bone. The only thing missing now is the painful bone-on-bone arthritis and who needs that? Patients, in major study after major study, describe Selective Knee Resurfacing at a superior level of satisfaction over any total knee replacement. How Long Does Selective Knee Resurfacing Last? Anytime metal implants are used to replace your normal anatomy one has to expect that at some point, parts may wear out. What is unique about Selective Knee Resurfacing is that the results of its life span are identical to total knee replacements. This ranges from 8-16 years depending on many factors. What is so advantageous about Selective Knee Resurfacing is that after its usefulness, you may have many options still available to you when a second operation needs to be done. Total knee replacement burns all bridges to future advances and options. By maintaining the rest of the knee and the ligaments and supporting structures, you may be a candidate for another Selective Knee Resurfacing. Additionally, there is much research on natural biologic knee resurfacing and cartilage replacements. While these advances are not currently available, there is the likelihood that a person who underwent Selective Knee Resurfacing will be a candidate for this procedure when it is available. Future research will shed more light on this opportunity. |
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