What is a total knee replacement (arthroplasty)?
Total knee replacement, or arthroplasty, is surgery to replace the diseased knee joint. The surgeon removes the bottom of the thighbone (femur) and the top of the shinbone (tibia). He or she re-surfaces the bone ends with metal and plastic. The surgeon may also add a plastic “button” under the surface of the kneecap (patella), if needed.
Most simply stated, it is a resurfacing of the worn and arthritic surfaces for the knee joint. A total knee replacement puts an artificial surface on all parts of the joint that contact each other as the knee bends. The knee replacement implant, which is made of metal and plastic in a variety of sizes, is fitted to the bone to provide an artificial surface that causes no pain.
