A painful knee can seriously affect your daily life and social activities, making your life miserable and making it difficult for you to even care for yourself. Today, you don’t have to deal with this pain anymore; a joint surgeon can treat it surgically. Over the past 25 years, artificial knee replacements have evolved rapidly and the results have improved dramatically, becoming more and more acceptable to patients and benefiting millions of people with knee problems. This article will help you understand knee replacement. A healthy knee joint is able to extend and flex freely. It absorbs pressure and glides smoothly; this allows you to walk, squat, and turn without pain. However, when the knee breaks down, it can no longer cushion pressure. You’ll feel pain when you move. Sometimes the joint becomes swollen and even uncomfortable at rest. The knee joint is located where the thigh and lower leg bones meet. A healthy knee joint is able to move freely. This is because the joint surface is covered with a layer of smooth cartilage tissue and the joint is surrounded by strong muscles. Cartilage is a smooth layer of soft tissue. It covers the surfaces of the thigh bone and the end of the calf bone, as well as the deep surface of the knee. Healthy cartilage relieves pressure and allows the knee to glide freely. The ligament is another type of soft tissue. It connects the bony ends of the joint together. Muscles power the movement of the knee joint. Tendons attach the muscles to the bones. A Faulty Knee No matter how old you are, a faulty knee prevents you from participating in your favorite activities. Pain and stiffness can even limit your daily life. Knee problems get worse over time. The following causes can cause your knee pain: 1. Joint injuries that do not heal well 2. Chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, etc. that cause degenerative changes in the knee joint 3. Age-related osteomalacia, i.e., osteoarthritis Knee Disease After a knee disease, the cartilage is gradually destroyed or disappears over time. Because cartilage destruction cannot be repaired on its own, the destruction will continue to worsen. At first you only feel a little stiffness in the joint. When the cartilage of the joint is destroyed and the bone ends are exposed and rub against each other in direct contact, pain will occur. 1. Osteoarthritis causes the destruction or disappearance of cartilage after years of normal use of the knee joint. The exposed bone ends rub directly against each other and their surfaces become rough and damaged. The joint is constantly worn out. Excessive weight or problems with the shape of the joint such as rotundity or X-shaped legs puts extra pressure on the knee joint. This can accelerate the destruction of the joint. 2. Inflammatory arthritis Chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout can cause swelling and warmth in the joints. As the disease progresses, cartilage disappears and joint stiffness occurs. 3. InjuriesFalls or impacts to the knee can injure the knee or cause a fracture. If this injury does not heal well, it can cause wear and tear on the cartilage. Benefits of Knee Replacement SurgeryYou don’t have to live with knee pain. Total knee replacement surgery can relieve your joint pain. Your damaged knee is replaced with an artificial joint (prosthesis). Joint surgery does not make you young again, but the majority of our total knee replacement patients experience the following: 1. Complete absence or significant reduction of joint pain. 2. 2. Increased leg strength. You can walk farther with more energy. Because the knee pain is gone, you can use your leg more, which strengthens your muscles. 3. Improved quality of life. You are able to carry out your daily life with ease and travel like everyone else, as well as participate in fitness activities. 4. Long-lasting, pain-free activity. The vast majority of total knee replacements with imported prostheses last for many years. Do you wonder if you can handle the surgery? You may have already undergone many medications or other conservative treatments to relieve your joint pain, and you may have even undergone surgical procedures such as arthroscopic surgery. However, if these treatments don’t solve the problem completely, or if your condition worsens, a total knee replacement is the only right choice for you. To determine if you are a candidate for joint replacement surgery, your doctor will perform a thorough examination. Your doctor will take into account your general condition when planning your treatment to maximize the safety of your surgery. Your medical history Your doctor will learn about your past medical problems. In addition to asking about the location of your knee pain and when it worsens, he or she will also ask if you have had any other systemic problems, such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, etc. If you have had any of these problems, it is important for you to be aware of them. If you have had any, please tell your doctor. It is also important to tell your doctor if you have had previous surgery and if you have had any problems with anesthesia or bleeding in the past. Your Physical ExaminationYour doctor will fully examine your knee joint, such as any swelling around the joint, any tenderness in nearby muscles and tendons, strength, stability, and mobility of the joint. X-rays X-rays will show a picture of your knee joint. X-rays of both your knees will be taken. It can show changes in the size and shape of the joint, as well as lesions such as bone spurs, cysts, or bone defects. These lesions often occur in areas where cartilage has been destroyed. x-rays can also help your doctor design joint replacement surgery. The doctor will use the x-ray to determine exactly where to place the prosthesis. Your Treatment PlanThe doctor uses the results of your exam and lab tests to develop the right treatment plan. Surgery may be the best treatment for your condition. Total knee replacement can last for many years. If the first replacement wears out, it can often be replaced again. However, if you are very young, your doctor may recommend surgery at a later date. Medications or arthroscopy can reduce your symptoms until you are old enough for surgery. However, patients with rheumatoid arthritis are not limited by age. Preparing for surgery If you have other medical conditions that may adversely affect your surgery, they should be effectively controlled or treated before surgery. In particular, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, liver disease, kidney disease, or dental disease. This will promote healing and minimize the risk of surgery after arthroplasty. If you smoke, it is a good idea to stop. You will have an electrocardiogram, blood and urine tests, liver and kidney function, coagulation tests, and other laboratory tests done on an outpatient basis. A chest X-ray may be needed. Please tell your doctor about any medications you are taking, such as hormone medications, anti-inflammatory medications, and pain relievers. Blood transfusion is often needed after surgery. To prevent transfusion reactions, you should use your own blood as much as possible. Usually, blood is drawn from your body one week before the surgery and returned to you after the surgery. If necessary, blood from another person that has been tested and found to be healthy may be used. Risks and Complications As with any other surgical procedure, there are risks and complications associated with total knee replacement, but the chances of them occurring are very, very low. They include: AnesthesiaAccidental reactionBlood clotInfectionKnee bone and peripheral blood vesselsNeurological damageKnee dislocationSurgical ProcedureWhen preoperative preparations are complete, we will take you to the operating room. Once in the operating room, the anesthesiologist will administer the anesthesia. This will allow you to sleep or not feel anything below your waist during the procedure. A very thin catheter will be placed. We will then make an incision directly in front of your knee, cut through the surface of the joint, remove all diseased joint surfaces, and install a new joint surface for you. The incision is finally closed with sutures. The length of the incision is approximately 15-20 cm and the incision is usually made directly in front of the knee joint. The surfaces of all the bones in the joint are cut to fit the prosthesis. After testing for a good fit, the thigh bone prosthesis, calf bone prosthesis and kneecap prosthesis are fitted in that order. These prostheses make up your new joint. A drain will be placed in your knee joint. After the surgery you will be sent back to your hospital room after the surgery. You will be closely monitored and given pain medication through a tube in your back. Your knee will be placed in a passive knee immobilizer, the main purpose of which is to move the knee so that it passively bends and straightens. During your hospitalization, a rehabilitation therapist will help you with your exercises. You will learn many specific ways to exercise to get back to your normal life as soon as possible. You will learn how to increase muscle strength and improve lung capacity. You will be given temporary pain medication, if necessary, to make it easier for you to move around. Exercise increases blood flow and reduces wound swelling. The increased strength of the muscles in the front of the thighs stabilizes the knee joint. Exercise also allows you to bear weight without pain so that you can return to your normal work and life as soon as possible. Walking againYou will be able to stand and walk the day after your surgery. The IV tubing can be a little inconvenient for you to use the walker, but your rehabilitation provider will teach you how to use it and how to put weight on the joint. With exercise, you will soon be able to walk with a walker. Lung capacity training involves coughing and taking deep breaths frequently after surgery to improve the depth of your breathing. You will have to do this several times an hour. In your hospital room on the day of surgery, you will be closely observed and will be provided with all the equipment mentioned below. 1. Knee passive mobilizer, mainly used for passive flexion and extension movement of the joint. 2, Special socks for preventing the formation of blood clots. You will also be given medication to prevent the formation of blood clots. Treatment of Pain During the first few days after surgery, pain medication will be injected through a tube in your back or intramuscularly to help with your pain. It is normal if you still have mild pain after the medication. However, please contact your nurse or doctor immediately if any of these things happen The pain gets progressively worse. Pain or swelling is noticeable. Redness, warmth and discharge from the incision site. Chest pain or difficulty breathing. Fever over 39 degrees. Activities you should do To strengthen your leg muscles, you should walk every day, gradually increasing the distance you walk, and you will feel better every day. You can start to do some housework and gradually resume your daily activities. Be careful to avoid activities that could twist your knee, which is most likely to happen when you turn around without moving your foot. Do not participate in strenuous sports such as long-distance running, high jumping, long jumping, race walking or basketball. Pre- and post-surgery considerations: cure dental problems before surgery; prepare your own blood; stop taking aspirin or ibuprofen for a few days; keep the incision dry after surgery; notify your surgeon immediately if there are any signs of infection; complete your physical exercises; in short, knee replacement is a demanding surgery, but it is not nearly as scary as you might think. Let us do what we can for your aching joints to give you back your legs and a healthy gait.