What is a Uni-Compartmental Partial Knee Replacement?
The uni-compartmental partial knee replacement is performed when only one of the three compartments of the knee is damaged. The healthy compartments then remain untouched. To perform the surgery, the surgery will make a 3-4 inch incision in the front of patient’s knee. The surgeon will properly balance the patient’s knee. The damaged bone is removed and the end of the femur and top of the tibia are reshaped to properly position and align the new implant. The implant is made up of a tibial component that replaces the top surface of the lower tibia bone and the femoral component that replaces the end of the femur bone. The new implant in then positioned into place. The surgeon will close the incision and place a bandage over the wound. For most patients, the implant lasts about 10-15 years. Since the normal knee kinematics is changed by having knee replacement, it may feel different to perform daily activities. The shape and motion of the knee will be different than with the natural knee
