What are the Pros and Cons of Unicondylar Knee Replacement?

pros and cons of unicondylar knee replacement

Before considering knee replacement surgery, you must know the pros and cons of unicondylar knee replacement.

Knee joints are one of the essential joints in the body and they support the overall weight of the body.

So, it is crucial to maintain the proper strength and health of knee throughout the life.

But, as arthritis is one of the most common problems in the knee, especially in older age, it’s nearly impossible to maintain the overall health of the knee.

When arthritis occurs, knee joints lose strength and start functioning improperly.

Therefore, to get rid of this, many people prefer knee replacement surgery, usually unicondylar (partial) knee replacement.

But before going for the surgery, you must know the pros and cons of unicondylar knee replacement.

Let’s take a look at them and decide, whether unicondylar knee replacement worthy for you or not.

And if you want to go for the surgery, you must contact the best knee doctor in Patna.

Pros of Unicondylar Knee Replacement

Unicondylar knee replacement is also known as partial knee replacement and Unicompartmental knee replacement.

In this, surgeons replace only the damaged part of the knee, not the whole knee.

Moreover, because of this, even youngsters consider going for this surgery.

In addition, many doctors generally suggest this because:

1. Shorter Recovery Time

Unicondylar knee replacement surgery is a minimally invasive surgery (MIS).

This conveys that, the surgeon can replace the affected area without making a large cut.

Moreover, because of the smaller cut, it recovers in a shorter period of time, typically a couple of days.

Note: You recover faster but you must take care of your knee for at least three to four weeks.

2. More Natural-feeling Knee

Unicondylar knee replacement doesn’t deal with the complete knee joints.

This signifies that the surgeon only replaces the damaged part of the knee, so, the most of natural parts get preserved.

For instance, most ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) stays in the knee joints after surgery.

Note: ACL is an essential ligament that provides rotational knee stability.

3. High Success Rate

Many people are having unicondylar knee replacement surgery and they are happy with their decision.

In other words, people who went for this surgery are getting a positive result.

According to data, the success rate of partial knee replacement is more than 90%.

Thus, these are the pros of unicondylar knee replacement.

Now, let’s see its cons in the coming sections.

Cons of Unicondylar Knee Replacement

Every surgery comes with cons besides the benefits and unicondylar knee replacement is no different.

So, let’s see the cons of unicondylar knee replacement:

#1. Requires Advanced Surgical Training

Unicondylar knee replacement is slightly different from total knee replacement.

In addition, it is also more complex and requires advanced surgical training and experience.

You might be thinking, how it is a con of unicondylar knee replacement?

In simple terms, not every knee replacement surgeon can perform this surgery.

So, if you want to go for unicondylar knee replacement treatment, you must consult the best Orthopedic surgeon in Patna.

#2. Won’t Last Forever

Everybody wants to get rid of his knee problem forever, especially after getting unicondylar knee replacement surgery.

Yet, data has shown that unicondylar knee replacement doesn’t last forever.

Moreover, you can expect your unicondylar knee replacement to last around 10 years which is very less than a total knee replacement, i.e., 25 years.

Therefore, if you are young, you should consider unicondylar knee replacement only in severe knee arthritis.

Hence, these are the pros and cons of unicondylar knee replacement that you must know.

Conclusion

Unicondylar knee replacement treatment is effective if you have arthritis in only one compartment of the knee.

In addition, young people can also prefer this surgery if they suffer from a severe knee problem.

But before going for the surgery, you must know the pros and cons of unicondylar knee replacement that is mentioned above.

And if you want to have the surgery from the most experienced doctor, you can consult the best knee doctor Patna.

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