Total knee replacement surgery, (total knee arthroplasty) is a procedure designed to alleviate chronic pain and improve the overall function and the mobility of a severely damaged joint. It usually involves removing the damaged portions of the knee joint, which includes the damaged cartilage and the bone, and replacing them with artificial components.
A total knee replacement procedure aims to correct various symptoms such as:
- Pain: By restoring the damaged joint surfaces, the source of pain is improved, allowing enhanced comfort and relief.
- Improved Function: A total knee replacement is intended to restore normal joint functions and enhance mobility. Artificial components imitate the natural movement of the knee joint, enabling people to reengage in activities with greater ease.
- Quality of Life: Enhancing mobility and a reduction in pain significantly leads to an improvement of the overall quality of life.
- Joint Stability: This procedure aims to repair joint alignment and stability, preventing further joint deterioration on new components.
- Long-Term Durability: Artificial components may degrade over time, but the goal is to always provide patients with many years of pain free movement and function, reducing the need for further medical procedures.