What is Joint Replacement Surgery?

When the smooth surface of a joint are damaged they lead to friction while moving & pain. After a certain point they are beyond repair. So they are resurfaced / recapped with artificial metallic surfaces to make them smooth again.

So technically its a Joint Resurfacing & not a Replacement surgery.

Which are the most commonly resurfaced joints?

The knee joint is the most commonly resurfaced joint

Since Knee is the most commonly damaged joint so Total Knee Replacement (TKR) or Total Knee Resurfacing is the most commonly done Joint Replacement surgery

What are the newer advances in TKR?

There are actually two newer advancements in TKR

Newer material – leading to more longevity of the replaced joint

Robotic instrumentation leading to precise placement of the implant

Problem specific (Partial Knee Resurfacing) leads to resurfacing of only worn out surface instead of the complete knee joint

Materials – The newer ceramic coatings along with a scratch resistant poly across various companies lead to significantly less friction thus ensuring the joint lasts longer

Robotic Knee Replacement – There is lot more precision in the placement of the implant with newer advancements like the Robotic arm which helps in a precise cut to place the components in perfect alignment all the time  

Total vs Partial Knee Resurfacing-

In a boon to longevity of the knee only the damaged part is replaced and keeps the original undamaged portion of the bones & ligaments intact leading to naturally aligned near normal knee post surgery. This leads to quick recovery, good knee bending & better control of the knee with higher satisfaction rates as compared to a Total Knee Resurfacing

When all the three advancements are combined together they give us unmatched precision, quality & longevity of a resurfaced knee joint which helps a person to resume an active, uninterrupted & a healthy lifestyle