The most common knee surgeries involve arthroscopy — a surgical technique used to repair many different types of knee problems — or knee replacement. Arthroscopy is a type of keyhole surgery used to diagnose and treat a wide range of knee problems.
Total Knee Replacement
Over time, you will be unable to perform the most basic of daily activities, such as lying down or sitting, without extreme pain. This procedure has been performed since 1968 and is often seen as the gold standard in knee procedures. It is one of the safest, most effective orthopedic procedures.
Minimally invasive knee replacement is performed through a shorter incision—typically 4 to 6 inches versus 8 to 10 inches for traditional knee replacement. A smaller incision allows for less tissue disturbance. In addition to a shorter incision, the technique used to open the knee is less invasive.
Total Knee Replacement
This has the longest recovery time out of all of the options, and therefore is almost always a last-resort choice.
It may take several months or longer to fully recover from a knee replacement. This can vary depending on your age and general health. Recovery for a partial knee replacement should be shorter than a total knee replacement.
In most cases, patients can walk without help from assistive devices like crutches or a walker within six weeks after knee replacement surgery.
Minimally-invasive quadriceps-sparing total knee replacement is a new surgical technique that allows surgeons to insert the same time-tested reliable knee replacement implants through a shorter incision using surgical approach that avoids trauma to the quadriceps muscle (see figure 1) which is the most important muscle ...
Doctors do sometimes recommend that people under age 60 wait to undergo a knee replacement procedure, because these artificial joints typically last only about 15 to 20 years. If someone younger gets the procedure, it's likely that the joint will need to be replaced again down the line.
Knee replacement surgery replaces parts of injured or worn-out knee joints. The surgery can help ease pain and make the knee work better. During the surgery, damaged bone and cartilage are replaced with parts made of metal and plastic.
Effectiveness of total knee replacement
Many studies show that 90-95 percent of total knee replacements are still functioning well 10 years after surgery. Most patients walk without a cane, most can do stairs and arise from chairs normally, and most resume their desired level of recreational activity.
Barring any complications, most patients are able to return to most normal activities and walk without the need of assistive devices between three to six weeks after surgery. Overall, it usually takes two to three months to make a complete recovery from a minimally invasive knee replacement.
Nowadays, many surgeons prefer laparoscopic surgery as it is quick and more advanced. Nonetheless, you should always consult your doctor to know the benefits and risks of each surgery before making your choice.
The surgery itself depends on the type of knee operation. A total knee replacement, for example, will likely take between 2-3 hours. Whereas a partial knee replacement normally takes around an hour. Most knee surgeries take between 1-3 hours.
After having a total knee replacement, you may expect your lifestyle to be a lot like it was before surgery — but without the pain. In many ways, you are right, but returning to your everyday activities takes time.
The knee can be replaced as often as necessary, although results tend to be slightly less effective each time. Recovery may take longer, but once you have recovered, results are usually good.
Most people do not need help walking after they fully recover. Most artificial knee joints last 10 to 15 years. Some last as long as 20 years before they loosen and need to be replaced again. Total knee replacements can be replaced again if they get loose or wear out.
The majority of patients expect to be able to kneel after TKR,2,4,5 however, these expectations are frequently not met,1,6 with between 50% and 80% of patients reporting that they have difficulty kneeling or do not kneel in the months and years after TKR.
When you put off surgery for too long, you can experience a continued loss of mobility and function in your joint. Plus, your body continues to age and your risk increases for developing other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
4 – 6 weeks after surgery
You would be able to walk for 10 minutes without any assisted devices within 4 – 6 weeks of the procedure.
One to three weeks after surgery
Typically, you'll be able to bend your knees at a 90 degree angle, fully straighten your knee, and walk for at least 10 consecutive minutes during this stage of physical therapy.
Goal for first 2 weeks after surgery is to make sure your knee fully straightens and bends to 90 degrees. After 2 weeks, goal is to increase knee bending and initiate muscle strengthening.