Every step you take involves moving your knees. When aging, disease (such as osteoarthritis) or injury makes walking or other normal activity painful, one option may be a total knee replacement.
Knee replacement surgery, also called total knee arthroplasty (ARTH-ro-plas-tee), can help relieve pain and restore function in severely diseased knee joints, greatly improving the quality of life for most patients. This surgery involves the removal of damaged bone and cartilage from the thighbone, shinbone and kneecap and replacement of the joint with a prosthesis (an artificial joint). A prosthesis may be made of metal and plastic or metal and ceramic in many different designs. The type you receive will be chosen based on the area of the knee that is affected, your age, weight, activity level, overall health and the condition of your ligaments. Knee replacement generally relieves pain and improves mobility for more than 95 percent of patients.