Partial Knee Replacement Surgery

Partial knee replacement is a surgical procedure in which part of the knee joint is replaced with a prosthesis. It can be performed in order to improve mobility and relieve pain when one side of the joint is damaged.

When is it Performed?

Partial knee replacement can be performed in many patients for their knee arthritis because the disease usually starts in the inner (medial) part of your knee and there is no need to remove the healthy unaffected part of the joint if the disease is caught at this stage. Patients report excellent outcomes which are often far better than total knee replacements. The main caveat with partial (or Unicondylar knee replacement as it is known) is that the best results shown in the National Joint Registry are achieved at the hands of surgeons who perform high volumes of this type of surgery such as Mr Dawson whose numbers now exceed 300 operations.

The Procedure

Partial knee replacement surgery can be carried out with either a general or a spinal anaesthetic. The surgery is performed through a much smaller incision than a total knee replacement (smaller scar at the front of your knee) and has the advantage of lower levels of pain and quicker recovery rates than a total knee replacement. The majority of patients go home after two nights in hospital but it may be perfectly safe to leave after one night or occasionally after three depending on your recovery. Mr Dawson is a keen follower of Enhanced Recovery protocols which he himself introduced into several hospitals. These techniques have revolutionised the patient experience before, during and after the hospital stay. So whilst we don’t imagine patients relish having surgery the journey will be as pleasant as possible with excellent pain management and physiotherapy. Any questions or concerns you have are the duty of the team to answer so please let us know.

Risks and Benefits

• All surgery comes with a small risk of complications including blood loss, infection and adverse reactions to the anaesthetic. The doctor will explain these in detail before the operation.
• Knee replacement surgery should help to relieve pain and improve mobility.
• Partial knee replacement is a smaller operation than total knee replacement. The incision is smaller, recovery is faster and more of the bone is preserved. It can therefore be a better option when only one side of the joint is affected.
• The prosthesis is designed to last for about 20 years, but it may need to be replaced at some point. Further surgery is more likely to be needed after a partial knee replacement than after a full one.

If you would like to discuss partial knee replacement with an experienced doctor, get in touch to make an appointment with Mr Matt Dawson at the Cumbrian Knee Clinic.

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