Knee Replacement (Print Version)

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Knee Replacement

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/kneereplacement.html

Also called: Also called: Knee arthroplasty

Knee replacement is surgery for people with severe knee damage. Knee replacement can relieve pain and allow you to be more active. Your doctor may recommend it if you have knee pain and medicine and other treatments are not helping you anymore.

When you have a total knee replacement, the surgeon removes damaged cartilage and bone from the surface of your knee joint and replaces them with a man-made surface of metal and plastic. In a partial knee replacement, the surgeon only replaces one part of your knee joint. The surgery can cause scarring, blood clots and, rarely, infections. After a knee replacement, you will no longer be able to do certain activities, such as jogging and high-impact sports.

Start Here

Knee Replacement(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/kneereplacement/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/kneereplacementspanish/htm/index.htm
Total Knee Replacement(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00389
Also available in Spanish http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=422&topcategory=Spanish

Overviews

Joint Replacement Surgery and You(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Joint_Replacement/default.asp
Joint Surgery(American College of Rheumatology) - http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/diseases_and_conditions/jointsurgery.asp?aud=pat
Knee Replacement(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/knee-replacement/MY00091/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all

Latest News

Successive Births, HRT Use Boost Joint Replacement Risks(10/28/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70915.html
Gradual Exercise Best After Joint Replacement(10/03/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70037.html

Rehabilitation/Recovery

Activities After a Knee Replacement(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=275&topcategory=Knee
Total Knee Replacement Exercise Guide(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00301
Also available in Spanish http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00494&return_link=0

Specific Conditions

Cemented and Cementless Knee Replacement(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=281&topcategory=Knee
Knee Implants(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00221
Minimally Invasive Total Knee Replacement(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=472&topcategory=Knee

Related Issues

Anesthesia for Hip and Knee Surgery(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00372
Preparing for Joint Replacement Surgery(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00220
Your Joint Replacement: Urological Procedures & Antibiotics(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00383

Tutorials

Knee Replacement(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/kneereplacement/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/kneereplacementspanish/htm/index.htm

Videos

Computer-Assisted Partial Knee Replacement(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=166
Computer-Assisted Total Knee Replacement(OR-Live) - Requires Flash Player - One hour program - 5/02/2008 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/waf_1998/rnh.cfm?id=724
Gender Specific Knee Replacement(OR-Live) - Requires Flash Player - One hour program - 11/27/2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/bse_1886/rnh.cfm?id=666
Minimally Invasive Computer-Assisted Total Knee Replacement(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 4/18/2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=517
Minimally Invasive Total Knee Replacement(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=250
Also available in Spanish http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-spanish/wrm_1462/rnh_sp.cfm
Minimally Invasive Total Knee Replacement for Women(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 11/16/2006 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=353
New Knee Revision Procedure(OR-Live) - Requires Flash Player - One hour program - 12/06/2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/deo_2052/rnh.cfm?id=652
Primary Knee Replacement Surgery: Greater Range of Motion While Sparing Healthy Bone Tissue(OR-Live) - Requires Flash Player - One hour program - 12/06/2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/deo_2182/rnh.cfm?id=663
State-of-the-Art Knee Replacement Surgery(OR-Live) - Requires Flash Player - One hour program - 1/22/2008 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/stm_2087/rnh.cfm?id=698
Total Knee Arthoplasty(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 10/18/2006 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=356
Total Knee Arthoplasty(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 6/14/2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=604
Total Knee Replacement for Women(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 9/14/2006 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=351
Total Knee Replacement for Women(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program 10/16/2006 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=365
Total Knee Replacement Surgery(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=306
Total Knee Revision Surgery(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 10/25/2006 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=358

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Arthroplasty(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Arthroplasty%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Knee Replacement(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=knee+replacement

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty through a medial approach. Surgical technique. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18829933&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Athletic activity after total joint arthroplasty. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18829924&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Averaging different alignment axes improves femoral rotational alignment in computer-navigated... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18829906&tool=MedlinePlus
Knee Replacement -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=arthroplasty,replacement,knee[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+review[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Directories

AAHKS Doctor Locator(American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons) - http://www.aahks.org/members/public/memdir.cfm
Find an Orthopaedist(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/members.cfm

Organizations

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - http://www.aaos.org/
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Knee Injuries and Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/kneeinjuriesanddisorders.html
Bones, Joints and Muscles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bonesjointsandmuscles.html
Surgery and Rehabilitation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/surgeryandrehabilitation.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Knee Replacement is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/

Knee Replacement - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/kneereplacement.html

Date last updated: October 28 2008

Topic last reviewed: May 14 2008