In the last 20 years, artificial knee joints have reached such a level of perfection that serious knee conditions that were previously untreatable can be replaced with artificial knee replacements to regain joint function.
What is artificial knee replacement surgery?
When the normal anatomical structure of the knee joint is severely damaged and it cannot function normally, i.e., it is painful to move, the surgeon surgically removes the damaged joint and replaces your original knee joint with a precision designed and manufactured artificial knee joint, a procedure called artificial knee replacement.
The normal human knee joint.
The knee joint is made up of three bones. The lower part of the thigh bone (femur) forms the upper part of the knee joint; the upper part of the main bone of the lower leg (tibia) forms the lower part of the knee joint; and a small, slightly flattened bone (patella) forms the front part of the knee joint. All of the bones that make up the knee joint are covered with a few millimeters of smooth, mirror-like, slightly elastic, painless cartilage (articular cartilage) called the articular surface. In the knee joint, the femur and tibia form a pair of joints, and between the articular surface of the femur and the articular surface of the tibia, there is a half-moon shaped piece of fibrocartilage (meniscus) that acts as a cushion between the femur and the tibia. The lower end of the femur is in front of the patella and forms a pair of joints. These bones are also surrounded by muscular ligaments. All of these structures together make up the knee joint.
Common factors that lead to knee pain and limited movement.
The most common are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and traumatic arthritis.
Osteoarthritis: commonly occurs after the age of 50 and often has a family history of arthritis. In this type of arthritis, the articular cartilage and meniscus that serve as a cushion have often worn away and the joint space has become smaller, leading to painful friction, joint deformity and stiffness.
Rheumatoid arthritis: It can cause inflammation of the synovial lining of the joints, producing excessive joint fluid; inflammation can also erode and destroy joint cartilage, causing joint pain, deformity and stiffness.
Traumatic arthritis: intra-articular fractures can directly destroy joint cartilage.
Materials of the artificial knee joint.
The artificial knee joint is designed on the basis of extremely advanced metallurgy, biomaterials, biomechanics and bone surgery. It consists of three components. One is a femoral prosthesis, another is a tibial prosthesis, and another is a patellofemoral prosthesis. There are two methods of bonding generally used, one is to use bone cement (an organic compound) to bond the prosthesis to the bone tissue, and the other is to apply a special treatment to the metal surface, and the human bone will grow in closely to hold it in place. Most doctors today usually choose cemented fixation.
Whether to have a total knee replacement.
The decision must be made in consultation with yourself, your family, and your orthopedic surgeon. Common situations that require knee replacement surgery are
Severe pain in the knee that limits your daily activities, such as walking, going up and down stairs, or walking a few blocks, and you need the help of a walker or cane; pain when you are resting during the day or at night; inflammation and edema in the knee that does not improve with rest or medication; deformity of the knee, such as an O-leg or X-leg; the knee feels stiff and is difficult to extend and flex; ineffective with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs The knee is stiff and has difficulty extending and flexing; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as anti-inflammatory pain and ibuprofen, are ineffective; pain medications have serious side effects; physical therapy, hormone injections and other surgical treatments are ineffective.
Most people who need surgery are between 60 and 80 years old, but doctors make different decisions depending on the individual. The recommendation for surgery depends on the patient’s pain and pathology, not just on age, and a successful total knee replacement can be achieved in a young person such as 16 years old or an older person such as over 90 years old.
Tests necessary before deciding to have an artificial joint replacement.
Orthopedic evaluation includes the following tens of thousands of aspects.
Your orthopedic surgeon will use this information and evaluation to discuss with you whether you need a knee replacement to eliminate Your orthopedic surgeon will use this information and evaluation to discuss with you whether you need an artificial knee replacement to eliminate pain and improve function, or whether other methods of treatment, such as medication, physical therapy or other types of surgery, may be considered.
Your orthopaedic surgeon will also explain the possible complications and potential risk factors for total knee replacement surgery, which have a 1 percent chance of occurring and, although low, are difficult to eliminate. They will be mentioned later in this brochure.
What to expect from a total knee arthroplasty
The vast majority of patients will experience a significant reduction in knee pain, significant improvement in function, self-management of daily activities, and an improved quality of life after surgery, but the surgery will not result in better knee function than before.
After surgery, there are some things that you will be prohibited from doing for the rest of your life, including jogging and high impact sports. With regular activities, the artificial knee can be maintained for more than 10 years in more than 90 percent of patients if used correctly.
Risky activities after surgery: These include running or galloping, contact sports, jumping sports, and strenuous aerobic exercise.
How to choose an artificial joint
There are many manufacturers of artificial joints, including famous foreign brands such as Depuy, Zimmer, Link and Streyker, all of which have been used for more than 20 years. Regardless of which company’s products, the design principles and materials are basically the same. The attending surgeon’s familiarity with and experience in using a particular brand of prosthesis: the surgeon’s most familiar and most used prosthesis is chosen.
Estimated cost of surgery
The cost of artificial knee arthroplasty consists of the following components.
1. The cost of the artificial joint: the current cost of a domestic prosthesis is between 15,000 and 20,000; the cost of an imported prosthesis is between 28,000 and 46,000. The reason for the price difference is as described above. According to the regulations of the medical insurance bureau in our region, regardless of what kind of prosthesis is used, the employee medical insurance reimbursement 8,000 yuan, the new agricultural cooperation and urban residents insured persons reimbursement will vary from county to county, but generally less than 5,000 yuan.
2. Surgery cost: $1.4 thousand for unilateral surgery; if bilateral replacement, 60% more. Some local health insurance offices may only reimburse the prescribed cost of surgery on one side at a time, and require re-hospitalization for surgery on the other side.
3.Anesthesia fee: 700 RMB.
4.Medication fee.
5.Blood products fee.
6.Ward treatment fee, bed fee, and nursing fee, etc.
7.Other.
Attention.
In general, the full cost of surgery with a common imported prosthesis is approximately between 40,000 and 45,000 RMB (before medical insurance reimbursement). Patients who require concurrent treatment for other medical conditions will incur additional treatment costs. Some disposable supplies used during surgery and medications for post-surgical treatment are important for successful surgery and complication prevention, but are not yet included in the medical insurance reimbursement due to approval procedures or policy, etc., and need to be communicated to the doctor.