Knee Replacement Surgery

Total knee replacement is a surgical procedure whereby artificial material resurfaces the diseased knee joint. The knee is a hinge joint that allows mobility at the point the thigh meets the lower leg. The thighbone (or femur) at the knee joint abuts the large bone in the lower leg (tibia). The weakened surface of the femur bone is removed during a complete knee replacement, and replaced with a metal shell.

Even the end of the lower leg bone (tibia) is removed and replaced with a metal stem with a high density polyethylene. A plastic "click" can also be inserted under the kneecap pad, depending on the condition of the kneecap part of the knee joint. The artificial parts of a complete replacement knee are called prosthesis.

The posterior cruciate ligament is a tissue that usually stabilizes either side of the knee joint so that the lower leg in relation to the thigh bone can not move backwards. This ligament is either preserved, lost, or substituted by a polyethylene pin, in complete knee replacement surgery. Each of these particular total knee replacement designs has its own unique benefits and risks.