1. Bone preparation
In the first step, damaged cartilage at the ends of both the tibia and femur are removed, along with small amounts of bone.
The orthopedic surgeons at Rochester Regional Health work with patients who are having knee pain to first assess if other, non-surgical treatments like physical therapy, modification of activity or medication might alleviate the pain they’re experiencing.
If those solutions don’t lessen your knee pain, knee replacement may be an option – more than 90% of knee replacement surgeries are successful. After recovery, Rochester Regional Health patients experience less knee pain and improved knee function.
Total knee replacement surgery (also called knee arthroplasty) involves replacing the surface of the bones in the knee. At Rochester Regional Health, we offer both traditional surgery and outpatient knee replacement surgeries.
In the first step, damaged cartilage at the ends of both the tibia and femur are removed, along with small amounts of bone.
Next, metal components replace the removed bone and cartilage, recreating the surface of the joint. The bone is cut and prepared to fit the implants, personalized for each patient’s unique size.
Once the metal components are cemented or pressed into the bone, the undersurface of the kneecap (the patella) is commonly resurfaced with a plastic button. Not all total knee replacement recipients need their patella resurfaced.
Finally, a spacer (made of medical-grade plastic, also called polyethylene) is inserted to create a smooth gliding surface between the metal components.
Our orthopedic surgeons will assess if outpatient total knee replacement is the right procedure for you based on your medical history and assessment of how you might recover from the surgery. Outpatient surgery means:
“It’s life changing because I can do more, I’m in no pain, no braces, and I’m able to ski the way that I always envisioned."
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Many of our patients have their joint replacement at one of our convenient ambulatory surgery centers and are home that same day. The approaches we use allow for faster recovery and less pain.
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