Procedures

Commonly, knee arthritis affects only one side of the knee joint. An ideal solution can be to replace the arthritic part only and preserve the unaffected part of the joint. Our partial knee replacement is performed using the Oxford unicompartmental knee procedure.  The advantages of a partial knee replacement compared to a conventional total knee replacement include less invasive surgery, better function, a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery.

If you are affected by arthritis in all three compartments of the knee, a total knee replacement may be required. The operation involves replacing the damaged surfaces of the knee with an artificial joint. It takes about an hour to perform and most people stay in hospital for 3-4 days and have a further recovery period of 12 to 18 weeks.

Knee replacements can require changing to a new implant, for symptoms of pain, wear of the implant, loosening, infection or stiffness. Revision surgery involves the removal of old components and inserting components for a new knee. Revision surgery is more challenging than normal knee replacement surgery, and the recovery period can be longer.

Knee arthroscopy is a routine operation performed as a day case. ‘Key hole’ surgery is performed through two small incisions either side of the knee cap. This short 30 minute procedure is used to treat meniscal tears; damaged cartilage; loose bodies; arthritis and knee cap problems. It’s performed under general anaesthetic and patients can usually return to their daily routine within one or two weeks, but this recovery time will vary depending on the procedure undertaken. Further physiotherapy may be required to improve and speed up recovery.

Cartilage injuries can be either damage to the shock absorbing washers in the knee (the meniscus), or damage to the smooth cartilage coating of the joint. There are a number of approaches to treat these conditions, which may involve an arthroscopic procedure, and the options available to you will be explained during your consultation.

This is a common procedure to replace a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The ruptured ligament is removed and replaced by a graft. This graft is either harvested from a portion of the patella tendon found at the front of the knee or from the hamstring found at the back of the knee. The recovery period is up to 9 months and physiotherapy is required over this time to improve mobility and muscle strength, and to protect the new ligament while it heals.

The patella can dislocate for a number of reasons. This instability is painful, and the underside of the patella can be damaged by the instability. There are a number of procedures designed to stabilise the kneecap, and will commonly involve reconstructing the structures that are torn when the kneecap dislocates.

There are a wide range of other procedures occasionally required, for example multiligament reconstruction, interventions for tendonitis and bursitis, hyaluronic acid or steroid injections for arthritis, or patellofemoral joint replacement surgery. Should you want to discuss these options, please do get in touch.