Total Knee Replacement
When arthritis has worn through the cartilage of the knee, walking, stairs, and sleep all suffer. A total knee replacement resurfaces the worn joint with a smooth, durable implant. The pain goes, and movement returns.
Dr. Nighot performs it with two techniques he trained in at the Hospital for Special Surgery and in Bordeaux. The muscle is spared, and the new joint is aligned to the knee you were born with.
Who it helps
Advanced osteoarthritis, or inflammatory arthritis, affecting most of the knee. Pain that no longer answers to medicines, physiotherapy, or injections. A knee that has become stiff or bent, and changes the way you walk.
The approach
The knee is opened beneath the thigh muscle. The muscle is lifted aside rather than cut, and the tendon that straightens the knee stays intact. This is the subvastus approach. It means less pain in the first days, and a quadriceps that recovers its strength sooner.
Kinematic alignment
Conventional surgery sets every knee to the same straight line, whatever shape it had before. Kinematic alignment restores the alignment your knee had before arthritis, so your own ligaments stay in balance. Patients describe the result as a knee that feels like theirs.
Recovery
Most patients stand and walk with support on the day of surgery. Physiotherapy begins at the bedside, and most go home within a few days. The enhanced recovery programme continues at home, with a clear plan for each week.
Common questions
How long does a knee replacement last?
Most modern knee replacements are still working well twenty years after surgery. How long yours lasts depends on the implant, the accuracy of the surgery, your weight, and how you use it. Dr. Nighot will discuss what to expect for your knee.
Would a partial knee replacement be enough?
Sometimes. If the arthritis is confined to one part of the knee and the ligaments are sound, a partial knee replacement preserves more of the joint and recovers faster. Your X-rays and examination decide it.
Will I be able to sit cross-legged?
Many patients regain deep bending, and kinematic alignment helps here, so sitting cross-legged is often possible. Squatting places a heavy load on the implant, and Dr. Nighot advises against it for the long life of the joint.
Other procedures
Partial Knee Replacement · Total Hip Replacement · Joint Preservation