Total Knee Joint Replacement
Knee Replacement
Knee replacement is a surgical procedure —
performed in the U.S. 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 (to better match
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 about 90%
of cases it is complication-free and results in
significant pain relief and restoration of mobility.1
References:
1. AAOS website, http://orthoinfo.aaos. org/topic.cfm?topic=A00385, accessed April 2011.