Normal Anatomy The knee is a composite joint that consists of the distal femur (femoral condyle) and the proximal tibia (superior tibial articular surface). The femoral condyles slide smoothly over the superior tibial articular surface, allowing for smooth, painless movement of the lower leg Why do I need a total artificial knee surface replacement? Total knee arthroplasty is an artificial joint replacement surgery that removes the joint surface that the body can no longer repair on its own and replaces the damaged joint with an artificial joint component to correct the force lines of the limb, eliminate knee pain, maintain joint stability, and restore knee function. Artificial knee arthroplasty was used later than hip arthroplasty, but it has a history of more than 20 years. Especially in recent years, knee arthroplasty has developed rapidly and solved some technical problems that used to be very difficult. Nowadays, the safety and efficacy of artificial knee arthroplasty is as satisfactory as that of artificial hip arthroplasty. Osteoarthritis of the knee (age-related osteoarthropathy) and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common forms of arthritis of the knee. In the advanced stages of arthritis, severe joint deformity and mobility impairment occur, and total knee surface replacement therapy is required at this time. Total knee surface replacement not only significantly reduces symptoms, but also corrects deformities and improves joint function, and has become one of the most common surgical procedures in developed countries in Europe and the United States. Procedure The joint surgeon makes an incision in the affected knee, removes the kneecap, and scrapes away the rough top part of the femur and tibia in order to place the replacement device. The two parts of the replacement device are implanted into the femur and tibia with a special bone cement.