The condition leads to more than seven million doctor visits every year and, for 80 percent of patients, some limitation in activity. Patients with knee osteoarthritis can experience very disabiling symptoms. When knee pain symptoms become severe and can't be relieved with standard treatment, a doctor may recommend replacement of the diseased joint with an artificial joint. The average age of knee replacement patients is 68 years. While knee replacement can be a very effective procedure for many patients, there are some drawbacks.
Patients often require pain medications for several days and crutches or a walker for several weeks.
Patients with a total knee replacement lose much of the twisting motion of the natural knee and may be limited in the types of activities they perform. Some surgeons are using a different technique, called unicompartmental knee replacement, for some patients with knee problems. In traditional knee replacement, doctors replace the entire joint, even if only part of the joint is damaged. In unicompartmental knee replacement, only the damaged area of the knee is replaced. Doctors make about a three-inch incision.