How is knee replacement surgery done?

A total knee replacement surgery is one of the most complex procedures in the medical world. An orthopedic surgeon has to make precise measurements before going ahead with the surgical procedure and then skillfully remove the unhealthy part of the bone, that further helps in shaping the remaining bone to accommodate the artificial knee implant. The surgeon has to build the artificial knee inside the patient’s leg, that too, only one component at a time, to create a highly realistic artificial joint during this procedure.

Here is the surgical procedure:

1.Firstly, an incision is made in the front of the knee. The surgeons performing knee replacement surgery in Gurgaon mainly use the minimally invasive knee surgery in which the incision is usually about 4 to 6 inches long. When the knee is open, the surgeon rotates the patella outside the knee area which allows the surgeon to have a view of the area that requires this surgical procedure.

2.After opening and exposing the knee joint, the surgeon carefully measures the bones and then make precise cuts using the instruments to remove the damaged bone and cartilage from the end of the femur. The end part of the femur is also cut and then resurfaced for the fitting of the first part of the artificial knee, which is the femoral component. The surgeon then uses bone cement to seal the attachment of the metal femoral component to the end of the femur in place.

3.The next bone that is resurfaced by the surgeon is the tibia. The damaged bone and cartilage are removed from the top of the tibia and then the bone is shaped to fit the metal and the plastic tibial components.

4.The tibial tray, is fitted to the tibia and then bone cement is used to secure it in place. Once it's done, the surgeon snap in a polyethylene insert to sit between the tibial tray and the femoral component, and act as a kind of buffer. This insert gives support for the body as a person bends and flexes its knee. The surgeon has to flatten the patella and fit it with an additional plastic component in order to ensure a proper fit with the rest of the implant before returning the patella to its normal position.

5.Lastly, the surgeon will flex and bend the knee to check the proper functioning of the implant. The surgeon will close the incision with stitches or staples, and then bandage it and prep the patient for recovery to complete the procedure.