INTRODUCTION

During knee replacement surgery, bone and cartilage damaged by osteoarthritis are resurfaced with metal and plastic components. In unicompartmental knee replacement (also called partial knee replacement) only a portion of the knee is resurfaced. This procedure is an alternative to total knee replacement for patients whose disease is limited to just one area of the knee.

Because a partial knee replacement is performed through a smaller incision, patients usually spend little or no time in the hospital and return to normal activities sooner than total knee replacement patients.

There are a range of treatments for knee osteoarthritis, and your doctor will discuss with you the options that will best relieve your individual osteoarthritis symptoms.

Description

In knee osteoarthritis, the cartilage protecting the bones of the knee slowly wears away. This can occur throughout the knee joint or just in a single area of the knee.

The knee is divided into three major compartments:

Medial compartment (the inside part of the knee)

Lateral compartment (the outside part of the knee)

Patellofemoral compartment (the front of the knee between the kneecap and thighbone)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Partial Knee Replacement

Multiple studies show that most patients who are appropriate candidates for unicompartmental knee replacement have good results with this procedure.

The advantages of partial knee replacement over total knee replacement include:

• Quicker recovery
• Less pain after surgery
• Less blood loss
• Lower risk of infection and blood clots

Also, because the bone, cartilage, and ligaments in the healthy parts of the knee are preserved, many patients report that a unicompartmental knee replacement feels more natural than a total knee replacement. A unicompartmental knee may also bend better.

The disadvantage of partial knee replacement compared with total knee replacement is the potential need for more surgery. For example, a total knee replacement may be necessary in the future if arthritis develops in the parts of the knee that have not been replaced. The need for additional surgery is slightly higher for partial knee replacement than for total knee replacement.