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Summary
Knee replacement is surgery for people with severe knee damage. Knee replacement can relieve pain and allow you to be more active. Your doctor may recommend it if you have knee pain and medicine and other treatments are not helping you anymore.
When you have a total knee replacement, the surgeon removes damaged cartilage and bone from the surface of your knee joint and replaces them with a man-made surface of metal and plastic. In a partial knee replacement, the surgeon only replaces one part of your knee joint. The surgery can cause scarring, blood clots, and, rarely, infections. After a knee replacement, you will no longer be able to do certain activities, such as jogging and high-impact sports.
Living With
- Knee Rehabilitation Exercises (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Related Issues
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Images
- Knee joint replacement - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Partial knee replacement - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Videos and Tutorials
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Preventing Blood Clots After Orthopaedic Surgery
(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Statistics and Research
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Commonly Prescribed Blood Thinner Associated with Higher Risk of Post-Surgery Complications
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Arthroplasty
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Knee Replacement
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- Find a Doctor in American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons)
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Deciding to have knee or hip replacement (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Getting your home ready - knee or hip surgery (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hip or knee replacement - after - what to ask your doctor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Knee joint replacement (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Knee joint replacement - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Partial knee replacement (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish