Partial Knee Resurfacing

Partial knee replacement is an alternative to total knee replacement in patients with arthritis on only one side of the knee. Partial knee replacement is a surgical procedure which involves resurfacing and replacement of only the diseased surface of the joint instead of the entire joint.

The knee has three compartments, the medial (inside), the lateral (outside) and the patellofemoral (kneecap) compartment. Partial knee resurfacing may be an option depending on the affected surface. During the procedure your surgeon removes only the damaged area of the bone in the affected knee and fits the implant to that bone.

Unicompartmental knee resurfacing procedure that typically resurfaces the affected inner aspect of the femur and tibia. T he procedure begins with a small incision made over the affected side of the knee joint. The degenerated portion of the end of the femur, bone and top of the tibia are removed and replaced with metal components and polyethylene (plastic) articular spacers. The new components are secured to the bone with bone cement. It is not necessary to remove the cruciate ligaments with this partial knee replacement procedure, thereby allowing the need to function in a biomechanically normal fashion.

Patellofemoral knee resurfacing is a procedure that resurfaces only the worn-out surface of the kneecap the corresponding worn out area of the femoral trochlea (groove) in the thigh bone. This is only performed in the rare circumstance when the weight bearing articular surfaces of the femur and tibia are unaffected by degeneration entirely. Patients that are candidates for this procedure typically have pain, usually severe, when stair climbing or performing squatting type activities.

Advantages of partial knee resurfacing include:

• Less invasive
• Less surgical time
• Reduced blood loss
• Less chance for scarring
• Quick recovery
• Preservation of ligaments
• Less post-operative pain

Disadvantages of Partial Knee Resurfacing include the same complications associated with total knee arthroplasty, but to a lesser extent, such as: infection, bleeding, blood clot formation, and wear.