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Unicompartmental
During & After Surgery |
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A unicompartmental replacement or partial knee joint replacement is the replacement of one compartment of the knee. There are three compartments to the knee: two are located where the tibia and the femur link, and the third is located underneath the patella (knee cap). This surgery is generally considered in cases where there is pain in one compartment but the other two are unaffected. X-rays may also be used to confirm the presence of arthritis and determine if this form of surgery will be beneficial to you. Partial knee replacement is less common than total knee replacement, simply because in some cases the disease affects all three compartments. Loss of knee motion, particularly extension, aggravates pain and joint wear and should be treated by physical therapy if possible before surgery. Although unicompartmental replacements have been successfully used for years, new improvements in technology and surgical techniques, has resulted in more conservative unicompartmental knee replacement procedures.
An improvement in the treatment of osteoarthritis now provides a conservative, minimally invasive unicompartmental procedure that may lead to one or more of the following preferred outcomes:
· Shorter hospital stay
· More rapid recovery and rehabilitation
· Increased joint motion
· Smaller incision and scar (2 to 4 inches as opposed to 8 to 12 inches
· Less bone removal providing more options for future procedures. A unicompartmental knee replacement surgery generally requires a smaller incision because the replacement device is smaller. A small amount of bone and the joint surface will be removed during the surgery and replaced with the implant. If the limb is not straight because of bone wear, the appropriate implant can improve that. The recovery period is also generally shorter than with a total knee replacement and many people can return to walking in two to four weeks. Physical therapy is still needed to restore knee strength and function. Find a surgeon in your area who uses Wright Medical products. 
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