CLOSE

Partial Knee Replacement

 A Type of Minimally Invasive Surgery

Partial knee replacement surgery, also commonly referred to as unicompartmental knee replacement or knee resurfacing, is a surgical procedure that replaces (or resurfaces) only the damaged portion of the knee while conserving knee ligaments and unaffected cartilage. It is a type of minimally invasive surgery. The goal of this procedure is to remove only the most damaged areas of cartilage from the joint, and leave any healthy parts of the joint for continued use. Minimally invasive knee replacement surgery may be considered for treatment of severe arthritis of the knee.

Most often, partial knee replacements use implants placed between the end of the thigh bone and the top of the shin bone. Partial knee replacements can also replace the part of the joint under the kneecap; this is called a patellofemoral replacement.

Benefits of Partial Knee Replacement

  • Smaller Incision: This procedure involves a smaller incision with a minimal amount of dissection and bone removal.
  • Less Blood Loss: A blood transfusion is infrequently needed and patients do not need to consider giving blood before surgery.
  • Shorter Recovery: Both the time in hospital and the time to functional recovery are relatively shorter with the partial knee replacement.
  • Better Outcomes: The long-term outcomes are very satisfactory when partial knee replacement is done in the right patients.