Research indicates that more than 85% of partial or total knee replacement procedures are often successful. Knee replacement surgery involves the removal of damaged or diseased bone, ligament, and cartilage from the kneecap and shin bone and replacing them with an artificial joint. The treatment can improve your quality of life since it restores the function of your knee and provides chronic pain relief. However, with time, your knee replacement may fail, and thus your surgeon may recommend a reoperation, also known as a knee revision surgery Chevy Chase. During a knee revision surgery, your surgeon removes and replaces part or all of the prosthesis, an artificial joint consisting of plastic and metal components.
A knee revision surgery or revision knee replacement may not last longer than the original implant or prosthesis. The initial prosthesis may last about 20 years, while the new implants last about ten years. The new implants have a shorter lifespan because they are prone to complications, especially since the initial trauma degrades the bones in your knee. Consequently, below are signs you may need to undergo a knee revision procedure.
- Wear and tear of prosthesis
Your artificial knee joint can only properly work if it remains firmly fixed to the bone. During the first surgical procedure, your surgeon may cement the prosthesis into the knee bone or allow your bone to engulf the surface of the artificial joint. But, gradually, the prosthesis becomes loose from the surrounding bone, leading to a painful knee.
The weakening of the implant may be due to different factors, including the excessive weight of the body, wear and tear of the components of the prosthesis, and high-impact exercises and activities like jumping, running, and hiking. High-impact activities exert greater stress on your weight-bearing joints, including the knee and ankle.
Moreover, you may be more susceptible to wear of the initial knee implant if it was fixed when you were younger.
- Infection
One of the main disadvantages of surgical procedures is that they may cause complications such as infection. An artificial joint exposed to an infection usually is stiff and causes pain and discomfort. Other signs of an infection may include pus from the knee and inflammation.
An infection will make the artificial knee joint loosely attached to the bone. Your doctor will need to remove the original artificial joint to promote recovery from the condition and install a new implant later.
- Knee imbalance
The degradation of the artificial knee joint can damage your knee, leading to instability. Your health provider can recommend surgery to correct improper knee balancing after conservative treatments like physical therapy prove ineffective.
- Fractures
Your knee bone adjacent to the artificial knee joint can become fragile and fracture due to an accident like falling. Your knee bone may also crack because of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a bone condition characterized by decreased bone mineral density and mass, increasing the risk for sudden fractures.
Contact Gautam Siram MD today to schedule an appointment with a knee revision surgery specialist.
