Knee joint replacement is a surgery to replace a knee joint with a man-made artificial joint. It is the surgical repair of a joint and it involves the surgical reconstruction and replacement of degenerated joints, using artificial body parts, or prosthetics.

There are three types of knee replacements:

• total knee replacement
• partial knee replacement
• bilateral knee replacement

You may be indicated knee replacement surgery in case of the following common conditions:

Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is caused by inflammation, breakdown, and the gradual and eventual loss of cartilage in the joints. this type of arthritis is age related, caused by the normal wear and tear of the knee joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is also called inflammatory arthritis. Chronic inflammation damages the cartilage, causing soreness and stiffness.

Post-traumatic arthritis: this type of arthritis is due to a severe knee injury. When the bones around the knee break or the ligaments tear, this will affect the knee cartilage.

Knee surgery may be suitable for patients who experience:

• Severe knee pain or stiffness that prevents them from carrying out everyday tasks and activities, such as walking, going upstairs, getting in and out of cars, getting up from a chair
• Moderate but continuous knee pain that continues while sleeping or resting
• Chronic knee inflammation and swelling that does not improve after taking medications or resting
• Knee deformity, where there is a noticeable arch on the inside or outside of the knee

During the procedure, the surgeon will remove bone and diseased cartilage from where your thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia) meet at your knee joint.

Those surfaces are then replaced with a metal implant. A piece of special plastic is normally used to replace the backside of the kneecap and finally, this same plastic material is placed in between the two metal parts.

This gives both bones of your knee joint smooth surfaces again so they can flex and bend more freely and painlessly.

Possible complications include:

• Infection, which affects fewer than 2 percent of patients
• A blood clot in the legs, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• A blood clot in the lungs, or pulmonary embolism
• A fracture during or after surgery
• Nerve damage, leading to numbness or weakness
• Continued pain or stiffness