More UAE residents need total knee replacement surgery, says doctor
Total knee arthroplasty (TKA), also known as total knee replacement, is one of the commonly performed orthopaedic procedures.
Generally, a knee replacement might be more accurately termed ‘knee resurfacing’, because only the surface of the bones are actually replaced. This procedure is performed to treat the destruction of joint cartilage either from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis/inflammatory arthritis, posttraumatic degenerative joint disease, or osteonecrosis/joint collapse with cartilage destruction of the three compartments (lateral, medial, patellofemoral).
A synovial joint is a connection between two bones consisting of a cartilage-lined cavity filled with fluid. Such damage causes pain and impairs the normal functioning of the knee joint, which is a complex hinge, primarily allowing flexion and extension but also allowing rotation and gliding.
The knee joint is the main lower limb support for the body in all daily activities. When indicated, TKA can provide pain relief and restore function and mobility. People who benefit from total knee replacement often have: > Severe knee pain or stiffness that limits your everyday activities, including walking, climbing stairs, and getting in and out of chairs. You may find it hard to walk more than a few blocks without significant pain and you may need to use a cane or a walker. > Moderate or severe knee pain while resting, either during the day or at night
> Chronic knee inflammation and swelling that does not improve with rest or medications > Knee deformity — a bowing in or out of your knee
> Failure to substantially improve with other treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, lubricating injections, physical therapy, or other surgeries.
The number of people who are candidates for this type of surgery in the UAE is increasing annually.
In the past 20 years, significant breakthroughs have been achieved in the development of new materials and design, especially mobile-bearing technology that enables patients to walk 24 hours post-surgery, through the simulated normal mechanism of natural knee motion with low rate of wear from the friction forces of bearing surfaces. The patients are only hospitalised for three or five days after total knee arthroplasty. Following discharge, they perform rehabilitation exercises at home by themselves. According to a recent report, as many as 60 per cent of the patients will achieve more than 90 degrees of flexion at the end of the first month post-operatively.
Furthermore, a patient can return to his or her regular physical activities including those of a traditional or religious nature.
The major complications of knee arthroplasty are mechanical problems, such as loosening and subsidence of the prosthesis, and post-operative infection.
Infection occurs immediately after implantation in some cases, but it is often delayed and manifests several years after surgery.
Although the incidence of infection varies among institutions, it is usually around one to two per cent, with the total rate of complications over 10 years being less than five per cent.
New mobile-bearing technology enables patients to walk 24 hours after their surgery.”