Tissues wear as organisms age, all animals experience it; humans especially. This is more noticeable with jobs that involve constant movement. Flexion, torsion, and extension of joints and muscles cause excessive abrasion and even corrosion. One of the most damaged body parts happens to be the human knee. A massive amount of movement occurs at the hinge joint of the knee, even for people such as the office workers at Orthosports. For a number of people the need for a knee replacement operation becomes an absolute necessity later in life.

A typical knee replacement surgery involves the removal of the ends of both the femur and the tibia. The end of the femur is replaced by a metal (cobalt chrome) cap and the top of the tibia is covered with a metal plate. A piece of channelled plastic (polyethylene) is locked onto the tibial component to act as a bearing between the metal end of the femur and the metal end of the tibia. Depending on the condition of the knee, another plastic piece may or may not be placed into the patella or replace it entirely. Also, if damage is severe enough, the posterior cruciate ligament, which provides stability, may be removed or replaced with a polyethylene post. This helps to improve the range of motion of the knee after the knee replacement surgery.

Knee replacement surgery is always followed by physiotherapy which occurs for several days afterwards as an inpatient and is recommended as an outpatient treatment for weeks or months to follow. This may involve water based exercise programmes or hydrotherapy.

The risks involved with knee replacement surgery are usually outweighed by the benefits but can involve blood clots. If the blood clots travel to the lungs they can be very dangerous. A hospital stay is necessary after surgery to provide pain relief and allow intensive supervised exercises. Antibiotics are given to prevent infections and blood thinners are given to prevent blood clots. Urinary tract infection can also occur along with chronic knee pain or stiffness, nerve damage, and infection, which usually requires further surgery. Post-operative medications can cause nausea and/or vomiting. Anti-inflammatory tablets often work well but can cause stomach problems. Many knee replacement patients prefer stomach aches to the potential problems after knee replacement surgery but most are very glad they had their knee replaced. For more information visit http://www.orthosports.com.au

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