Knee Replacement

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues

See, Play and Learn

• Images
• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Patient Handouts

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.

Start Here

• Joint Replacement Surgery: Health Information Basics for You and Your Family (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Knee Replacement (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Total Knee Replacement (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) Also in Spanish

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

• Preventing Blood Clots After Orthopaedic Surgery (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)

Statistics and Research

• Commonly Prescribed Blood Thinner Associated with Higher Risk of Post-Surgery Complications (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Arthroplasty (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Knee Replacement (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Topical Tranexamic Acid Is Effective in Cementless Total Knee Arthroplasty.
• Article: Safety and Cost-Effectiveness of Outpatient Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty in the Ambulatory...
• Article: Is bipolar sealer superior than standard electrocautery for blood loss control...
• Knee Replacement -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find a Doctor in American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons)
• 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