Signs You Need a Knee Replacement

What are the signs you may need knee replacement surgery? Knee replacement surgery has a long recovery process and the physiotherapy can be extremely painful at times. Although, if the quality of life has deteriorated due to a lack of mobility, knee arthritis or knee pain, it may be time to consider surgery. The National Institutes of Health reported knee replacement improves the quality of life and mobility in over 90% of the patients. Knee joint replacement is the most performed joint replacement surgery done today. Many people continue to suffer knee arthritis because it is difficult to know if surgery is needed.

There are simple signs that may mean you need a knee replaced. One indication is if the pain in the knee keeps you awake at night, or causes you to wake up when you roll over. If the problem persists for more than a couple of days you should consult your doctor. The knee arthritis pain in your knee may limit your activities, particularly if walking half a mile can be too painful to bear. If the pain persists, even after other forms of treatment, then you speak to your doctor. Just stiffness in the knees or the occasional sharp pain does not mean you need full or partial knee joint replacement surgery. Try doing some light stretches and walking. If the symptoms ease than you probably just need some recovery time.

If you have knee arthritis, surgery might be a viable option. Arthritis is actually an inflamed joint. People think of arthritis as an abnormal growth of cartilage or when the cartilage has worn away, causing inflammation around the joint. There are many types of arthritis, but the most common is osteoarthritis. This results in the cartilage wearing away until the bare bone is exposed. This type of arthritis in the knee can definitely benefit from knee replacement.

The conditions that can be treated with full or partial knee replacement surgery are: severe osteoarthritis, Ligament damage, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, crystal deposition diseases, avascular necrosis and bone dysplasias. Some of these can be resolved with partial knee replacement, which is much less invasive and provides for a faster recovery. In the case of arthritis, crystal deposition, avascular necrosis and bone dysplasias, partial replacement would only be a stopgap measure. If you have any of the above-mentioned signs it may be time to speak to your doctor.