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TOTAL KNEE
REPLACEMENT SURGERY

Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, affects close to 21 million Americans. According to the Arthritis Foundation, osteoarthritis, or OA, in the knee or hip is the most common cause of arthritis-related disability.

As baby boomers age (and become more arthritic), orthopaedic surgeons perform more and more total joint replacement surgeries, with total knee replacements, or TKRs, among the most common type. More than 300,000 people undergo the procedure each year, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

In a TKR, a surgeon resurfaces the worn out parts of the knee and replaces the lost cartilage and diseased bone with a device made of metal alloys and high-grade plastics designed to move just like a healthy, human joint. TKRs are most often performed on people with advanced OA, but they are also necessary in certain cases of traumatic injury or rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease. The common denominator in all TKR surgeries is a knee that is simply worn out.

Osteoarthritis can run in families, and it’s usually worse in older people whose joints have had more years of wear and tear. But what about people with OA that has advanced so far that they’re considering joint replacement? Appropriate physical activity is recommended and imperative for anyone with knee OA, and it can significantly improve the outcome of a total knee replacement operation.

Today knee replacement is one of the safest and most successful types of major surgery. In fact, in well over 90 percent of cases, TKR significantly reduces a patient’s pain and restores mobility—without complications. A knee replacement can be expected to last for 20 or more years.

More than 300,000 People Undergo Total Knee Replacement Procedures Annually
—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

YOUR
NEW KNEE

• Before surgery do strengthening exercises to help stabilize the knee joint. Getting stronger beforehand means you’ll have an easier time in post-surgery rehabilitation and physical therapy.
• After surgery (typically within a couple of hours), get back on your feet (you’ll probably be using a walker or crutches at first).
• Pick safe activities. Generally speaking, TKR patients will be advised to avoid activities that might injure the replaced joint. Swimming and golf are great. Sports that involve heavy lifting— running, and jumping are verboten.
• Protect your knees. Avoid bending knees past 90 degrees when doing squats. Avoid twisting your knees by keeping your feet as flat as possible when stretching, and always warm up and stretch before any physical activities.

Kevin D. Plancher, M.D., is an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine expert with extensive practice in knee, shoulder, elbow and hand injuries. He is also an Associate Clinical Professor in Orthopaedics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NYC.

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