What is Kneecap Replacement?
The knee can be divided into three joints; medial or inside,
lateral or outside and patello-femoral or kneecap joint. If
the kneecap alone is affected by arthritis then and artificial
joint can replace this part.
There are advantages of this operation over full knee
replacement in that there would be a smaller incision, less
post-operative discomfort, quicker recovery, a better range of
motion and the retention of your own main knee joint.
What does this involve?
Kneecap Replacement surgery is carried out in hospital under
general anaesthetic and local anaesthetic is injected into your
knee at the end of the operation so you wake up with no pain.
You would normally be admitted the evening before the operation if
your operation is in the morning or early on the day if your
operation is scheduled for the afternoon or the evening. This
allows you time to settle in and be prepared.
You will not be able to eat for eight hours prior to surgery
although you will be able to drink small amounts of water up to
four hours before.
The operation itself takes around 60 minutes and your Surgeon
will make a small cut down the front of your knew. The
kneecap is removed and replaced with an Avon patello-femoral
artificial joint and the incision is closed with stitches or
clips. An acrylic cement is usually used to bond the new
joint directly onto your bones.
Afterwards your knee will be tightly bandaged to help minimise
swelling and fine drainage tubes may also be left in for up to 48
hours.
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When will I recover?
You are likely to stay in hospital for three to
four days after the operation and your physiotherapists will
give you exercises that help you walk the day after the
operation. You will gradually progress from using crutches to
using walking sticks and you will be allowed to go home once you
are fully weight bearing and can manage stairs and to care for
yourself.
The knee dressing can be peeled off easily ten days after the
surgery and, as the stitches are internal, they do not need to be
removed. You will be given a cold compress or 'Cryocuff'
along with instructions on how to cool your knee, which is
important and aids recovery. You will see your Consultant
once again six weeks after your operation to review your
progress.
Kneecap replacement is a moderate and recovery is reasonably
quick. You are likely to need four to six weeks off work and
driving following the operation.
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What risks should I know about?
Kneecap Replacement surgery is a relatively new procedure which
has given good results to date with the promise of a long lasting
solution to this particular problem. There are some potential
complications you should be aware of. These only affect less
than 4% of patients.
- Infection can occur although our theatres have ultra-clean air
operating conditions keeping infection rates at 1-2%.
- Blood clots are possible in any major joint replacement surgery
but again are in the 1-4% category and have well established
treatments including aspirin.
- A small patch of numb skin can be present on the outer part of
the knee near the kneecap, this will improve over time
- The knee will have some stiffness after the operation although
we are aiming for 0-125 degs of movement once things have settled
down.
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Circle care
Knee surgery is carried out in our specialist Knee Unit at
CircleBath where specialist knee surgeons have created a centre of
excellence. You can be sure of state of the art facilities
and the best possible care to get you back on your feet as soon as
possible.
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