Knee Replacement Surgery

Before we talk about treatment, let's start with a discussion about the human body and about your medical condition. You doctor has recommended that you undergo knee replacement surgery. But what exactly does that mean? The knee is one of the most complex and one of the most important joints in your body. Let's take a look at the way the knee joint works. The knee is made up of four bones. The femur, which is the large bone in your thigh, ... attaches by ligaments to your tibia. Just below and next to the tibia is the fibula, which runs parallel to the tibia. The patella, or what we call the knee cap, rides on the knee joint as the knee bends. When the knee becomes diseased due to arthritis or other injury the bones rub together causing pain and can even restricting the ability to walk. No matter what the cause, one of the most effective ways to fix a damaged knee is to replace it surgically. In this procedure, the ends of the femur, tibia and patella are replaced with a metal joint which restores freedom of movement. Knee surgery is a major operation, but your doctor believes that the procedure --followed up with physical therapy and time to heal -- will result in reduced pain and greater mobility. So make sure that you ask your doctor to carefully explain the reasons behind this recommendation.

PreOp | April 9, 2009

Tags:. .femur. .ligaments. .tibia. .arthritis. .thigh