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Harley Street Knee Clinic

Knee Replacement

Joint replacement procedures involve replacing a painful joint with an artificial implant known as a prosthesis.

This is generally a very successful procedure with very high levels of patient satisfaction. This information is designed to explain the reasons for requiring a joint replacement and what is involved in the rehabilitation process after surgery.
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Why do I need a Knee Replacement?

The primary aim of a knee replacement is to alleviate pain from a joint which is most commonly due to destruction of the joint surface cartilage (osteoarthritis).

We usually try non-operative treatments first, usually in the form of physiotherapy and anti-inflammatory medication. However, once the joint surface cartilage has completely worn out, the only way to remove the pain and improve the function of the knee is to replace the joint using a knee replacement.

The knee replacement removes the joint surface and replaces it with a metal and plastic prosthesis. The operation involves an incision over the front of the knee, releasing the muscles attaching around the knee and exposing the joint surfaces.

Types of Knee Replacement

Partial Knee Replacement
Also known as half knee or unicompartmental knee replacements, a partial knee replacement is suitable for some patients who have damage isolated to only one compartment in the knee. The criteria for performing a partial knee replacement are stringent and this will be discussed at your consultation.
Total Knee Replacement
This operation replaces the joint surfaces of the knee with metal components articulating with a high molecular weight polyethylene spacer.
You will need to stay in hospital for 3-5 days after a total knee replacement, 2-3 days for partial knee replacement. It is wise to have someone to assist you for 1-2 weeks after you leave hospital.
You will not be able to drive for at least 6 weeks following your surgery. You need to be in control of your car and the knee should have a good range of motion and good muscle control before you can drive your car safely.
Low-impact sports can usually be resumed 3-6 months after surgery. This will be discussed with you at your consultancy.
We recommend that you don’t fly for at least 6 weeks after surgery. If you fly within 6 months of a knee replacement we strongly recommend prophylaxis against deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the form of compression stockings and medication (aspirin or if high risk then subcutaneous injections of blood thinning drugs).
The knee prosthesis is a mechanical device and as such it cannot last forever. The plastic component can wear over time and the whole implant can loosen in the bone slowly over time. Overall the chances of a Knee Replacement lasting 15 years is better than 90%. This means that at 10 years 9 out of 10 people are still doing well. After that there is a failure rate of around 1% per year. A revision replacement is possible but the results of revision surgery are not good as first time surgery.

Total Knee Replacement System

Microport

Over the last few years there has been a tremendous improvement in our understanding of normal knee movement (kinematics). Traditional knee replacements have not attempted to replicate normal knee movement resulting in a reduced range of motion compared to a normal knee.

Mr. Logan uses the Evolution Medial Pivot Knee system by Microport. The medial pivot system allows the knee to move more like a normal knee with asymmetric motion allowing rotation as well as flexion similar to the natural knee.   This design allows great stability and freedom of motion more so than the traditional symmetric knee systems.  The functional outcomes and excellent survivorship of the eMP knee makes it one of the best available on the market.  

Evolution Medial Pivot Knee