What is a partial knee replacement?
Osteoarthritis (wear and tear) of the knee can cause stiffness and pain and limit your activities. Often, this is a result of a prior knee injury or prior knee surgery. Sometimes, a knee just wears out. The knee is realty a complicated assembly of three joints or “compartments” each of which plays a roll in normal knee function. Sometimes only one or two of these compartments wears out. Specific X-rays show which parts of the knee are affected, helping us decide the best treatment. MRI scans aren’t necessary to evaluate knee arthritis. If only one part of the knee is worn out and the other parts are normal, and if conservative treatment has failed, a partial knee replacement may be the answer rather than the more extensive total knee replacement.

The partial, or uni-knee, is performed through a 2 –to 3 inch incision, requires a one day (overnight) hospital stay and allows a relatively rapid return to normal activities (not including running marathons or playing professional football). Partial knee replacement patients can put full weight on the new knee immediately but should use one or two crutch for two to four weeks to prevent a limp. They can work on a stationary bike at home to regain knee motion. The best part of the “partial knee” is that the normal compartments and structures of the knee, including the ACL, are not sacrificed unnecessarily, as it’s best to keep as much of the original knee as possible.