On this page
Learn More
See, Play and Learn
Resources
For You
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.
-
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)
- Total Knee Replacement (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
- Total Knee Replacement (Arthroplasty) (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
Latest News
- Knee Surgery Rarer, but Problems More Likely, for Minority Patients (08/18/2016, HealthDay)
Treatments and Therapies
- Preventing Blood Clots After Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery or Surgery for a Broken Hip: A Review of the Research for Adults (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) Also in Spanish
Living With
- Knee Conditioning Program (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
- Knee Replacement: What you can Expect (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Images
Videos and Tutorials
-
Arthritic Pain Relief through Partial Knee Replacement
(OR-Live)
- NewYork-Presbyterian, New York, NY, 5/04/2010
-
Bi-Cruciate Stabilized (BCS) Total Knee System (OR-Live)
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, 12/11/2013
-
Computer Guided Knee Replacement (OR-Live)
- Broward Health North Medical Center, Deerfield Beach, FL, 6/15/2012
-
Knee Pain and the Weekend Warriors (OR-Live)
- Mercy Hospital, Miami, FL, 3/17/2009
Also in Spanish
-
Knee Replacement for Women with Patient-Specific Instructions (OR-Live)
- Duke University, Durham, NC, 10/28/2010
-
Knee System Utilizing Personalized Solutions Instrumentation (OR-Live)
- Woodwinds Health Campus, Woodbury, MN, 12/13/2013
-
Partial Knee with Personalized Patient Care (OR-Live)
- New Albany Surgical Hospital, New Albany, OH, 2/27/2012
-
Small Incision Total Knee Arthroplasty (OR-Live)
- Mercy Hospital, Miami, FL, 3/01/2011
Also in Spanish
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 ArticlesReferences 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)
-
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Also in Spanish
Seniors
- Older Person's Guide to Joint Replacement (AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
Patient Handouts
- Deciding to have knee or hip replacement Also in Spanish
- Getting your home ready - knee or hip surgery Also in Spanish
- Hip or knee replacement - after - what to ask your doctor Also in Spanish
- Knee joint replacement Also in Spanish
- Knee joint replacement - discharge Also in Spanish
- Partial knee replacement Also in Spanish
