Knee

knee Anatomy

Knee Anatomy

The knee is a complex joint made up of different structures including bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles. They all work together to maintain normal function and provide stability to the knee during movement.

Total Knee Replacement

Total Knee Replacement

A total knee replacement (TKR) or total knee arthroplasty is a surgery that resurfaces arthritic knee joint with an artificial metal or plastic replacement parts called the ‘prostheses’.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ACL Reconstruction

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ACL Reconstruction

The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the major stabilizing ligaments in the knee. It is a strong rope like structure located in the center of the knee running from the femur to the tibia. When this ligament tears unfortunately it doesn’t heal and often leads to the feeling of instability in the knee.

ACL reconstruction is a commonly performed surgical procedure and with recent advances in arthroscopic surgery can now be performed with minimal incision and low complication rates.

Uni condylar Knee Replacement

Uni condylar Knee Replacement

This simply means that only a part of the knee joint is replaced through a smaller incision than would normally be used for a total knee replacement. The knee joint is made up of 3 compartments, the patellofemoral and medial and lateral compartments between the femur and tibia (i.e. the long bones of the leg). Often only one of these compartments wears out, usually the medial one. If you have symptoms and X-ray findings suggestive of this then you may be suitable for this procedure.

Revision Hip Replacement

Revision Knee Replacement

This means that complete or a part of your previous knee replacement needs to be revised. This operation varies from a very minor adjustment to a massive operation replacing significant amount of bone and hence is difficult to describe in full.

Click on the topics below to find out more from the Orthopaedic connection website of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.