Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at
KIMS Sunshine Hospitals, Hyderabad
KIMS Sunshine Hospitals, Hyderabad
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a condition that causes damage to the cartilage that protects the bones of the knee joint. The cartilage wears away gradually and this leads to knee pain and stiffness in the knee joint. In osteoarthritis, the damage can be confined to a particular area of the knee or widespread throughout the knee joint. If the damage is confined to a particular area of the knee, then the damaged area can be replaced with an artificial implant called prosthesis. The procedure is known as Partial Knee Replacement as opposed to replacing the whole joint (Total Knee Replacement). Dr. Adarsh Annapareddy, a leading partial knee replacement surgeon in Hyderabad, specializes in identifying the right candidates for Partial Knee Replacement and tailoring treatment plans for optimal outcomes.
In partial knee replacement surgery only the worn-out bone and tissue of the knee joint is replaced while conserving the unaffected cartilage and knee joint.
Partial knee replacement is also known as unicompartmental knee replacement, unicondylar knee replacement or unicondylar knee arthroplasty or partial knee resurfacing.
If you have advanced osteoarthritis with severe pain and walking difficulty and your symptoms are becoming severe day by day, you must consult your orthopaedic doctor. Your doctor will recommend knee replacement surgery if non-surgical treatment options are no longer beneficial to you. The doctor preferably recommends partial knee replacement if your arthritis is confined to one compartment of your knee joint – as shown in the figure.
Image showing the X-ray of a patient who is the right candidate for partial knee replacement. The image shows severe arthritis limited to one compartment of the knee joint.
Dr. Adarsh Annapareddy is recognized for his expertise in advanced orthopaedic care in Hyderabad, offering cutting-edge surgical techniques for partial and total knee replacement. His precision in performing minimally invasive partial knee replacement in Hyderabad ensures patients experience:
Dr. Annapareddy combines his extensive knowledge of knee mechanics with patient-centric care to deliver life-changing outcomes for those suffering from osteoarthritis and other knee-related conditions.
The main objective of your orthopaedic surgeon is to determine whether you are fit and get maximum benefits from the procedure. To fulfill this objective, the orthopaedic surgeon thoroughly examines and evaluates you.
For ensuring a good functional outcome and longevity of a partial knee replacement, confirming whether you are the right patient for partial knee replacement is important. Therefore, your surgeon further evaluates you by taking additional parameters into consideration like special x-rays.
Your orthopaedic surgeon thoroughly evaluates you based on the symptoms you have, your medical history and the location of pain. Your doctor will test the mobility of your knee joint to know the condition of the ligaments and knee joint. This can be done by testing the knee for a range of motion. Your doctor will order X-rays and other imaging tests to detect the affected area of the knee joint and the extent of damage caused to the knee joint due to arthritis.
Knee joint is a complex structure as its movement depends on muscles, ligaments, joint surface and the tendons that surround the joint. In a partial knee replacement, more of these structures remain unaltered and therefore the movement and mechanics of your knee joint remain more natural and normal as compared to a total knee replacement. Therefore, partial knee replacement feels more comfortable. However, for better outcomes, patients who have undergone partial knee replacement must follow all the instructions given by their orthopaedic surgeons, nurses and physical therapists.
The advantages of partial knee replacement include smaller incisions, less pain and faster recovery time. This is a preferred procedure for patients whose knee disease is confined to just one area of the knee. Patients who undergo partial knee replacement spend less time in the hospital and return to daily activities sooner.
If you have a knee condition (whether it is a mild discomfort or a diagnosed case of arthritis) and you are looking for treatment options, it is very important that you understand how your knee works.
Your knee is the largest joint of your body and supports the entire weight of the body. Two bones called the femur (the upper bone) and the tibia (the lower bone) come together to make up your knee joint. Both the bones are covered with a softer tissue called cartilage that absorbs any shock that may fall on your knee. Additionally, you also have certain elastic tissues called the ligaments which hold the bones together and facilitate knee movement.
The cartilage that protects the knee bones from shock wears out over time with use. When that happens, the bones are left bare open to one another and any kind of movement of the knee will result in friction of the bones. This friction not only hampers the smooth movement of the knee but also is painful.
The degree of pain and the difficulty in the movement will increase gradually as more and more of your cartilage tissue gets worn out. Based on this degeneration, you may be at one of the 4 stages of arthritis.
The treatment for arthritis depends on how severe your condition is. If you have ever looked into an X-ray of the knee, you will see that in a healthy knee, there is a gap between the two bones. Tis gap is normal. As wearing out of the cartilage occurs, the gap starts to reduce until, in stage 4, there is no gap in between the bones.
The lesser the gap is, the more severe is your condition. If the gap has reduced only slightly, you may have Stage 1 and Stage 2 arthritis. At this stage, pain medication and cartilage strengthening medicines can help you slow down the progress of arthritis. Additionally, physiotherapy can help you shift the ‘heavy-work’ to the neighbouring muscles and de-stress your knee joint. On this note, understand that these forms of treatment can only prevent arthritis from moving to a graver stage; they cannot undo the damages that have already taken place.
In the X-ray image, if the bones are touching in any area, you have reached Stage 3 or Stage 4 of arthritis based on how much of the bones are touching. At this stage, surgery is the most efficient choice of treatment. At Stage 4, you must go for a total knee replacement. Some x-rays show reduction in only the inner part of the knee joint; this is known as anteromedial arthritis. In these situations you can opt for a partial knee replacement or Unicondylar Replacement Surgery.
Unicondylar Knee Replacement, also known as partial knee replacement replaces only the damaged portion of the knee. When your knee starts wearing out, the damage, generally, starts at the medial (inner) portion. If you are diagnosed at that stage, we can perform a surgery on that portion only.
In a Unicondylar Knee Replacement, the worn out area of the bone is scraped out and a smooth metal prosthetic is implanted in that area. The metal implant complements the decayed bone. As for the cartilage, a plastic (polyethene) is used that makes the movement of the implanted metal smooth. The rest of the healthy bone and cartilage are left intact.
After the surgery, the new implant and the rest of your natural bone can be maintained and preserved with conservative medical care.
Unicondylar Knee Replacement can only be done on patients where the damage is localised to the medial section of the knee and has NOT spread across the entire joint. This procedure only benefits the patients who fall under that criterion.
The candidature of unicondylar knee replacement has to be judged very carefully. Once your knee condition passes the candidature, you can benefit highly from this procedure.
The scope of unicondylar knee replacement has been increasing with every new technique that comes out. Now, it has been proven that even obese people and sportspersons (or people with a high degree of physical activity) can opt for a partial knee replacement and get successful results.
However, you must remember that to avail the benefits of unicondylar knee replacement, you must seek treatment before arthritis spreads all over your knee in which case, you will only be able to take a total knee replacement.
If you are facing troublesome arthritis or any discomfort in your knee, you can approach our knee experts at Sunshine Hospitals. If you have any questions regarding any treatment or your condition, you can submit your query here.
If you are looking for expert orthopaedic care in Hyderabad, consult Dr. Adarsh Annapareddy to explore your options and regain your mobility with confidence.
The advantages include smaller incisions, reduced postoperative pain, shorter recovery times, and preservation of healthy knee structures, leading to a more natural feel and function of the knee.
Ground Floor, KIMS Sunshine Hospitals, Raidurg, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500035