What about joint arthroplasty (joint replacement)?
When arthritis is severe and the pain intolerable, the best procedure for a knee can be joint arthroplasty. Joint replacement is one of the best procedures available in orthopaedics for releaving pain and restoring function.

What is unicompartmental knee replacement?
Unicompartmental arthroplasty, or partial knee replacement, is used to replace only a portion of the knee. This is performed when the arthritis only affects one particular area of the knee, and the rest of the knee is normal. This is most commonly performed for arthritis on the inside of the knee. In partial knee replacement, the diseased portion is replaced with metal and plastic, but everything that’s normal is left alone. This can typically be performed through a small incision, and the recovery is shorter than a total knee replacement.

• Patient Guide to Osteoarthritis (832Kb)

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