What is knee replacement surgery?

Do you have a stiff, painful knee that makes it almost impossible for you do even the simplest of activities and other treatments don’t seem to work for you? Your doctor may recommend you to go under knee replacement surgery. However, the surgery is generally reserved for people who have severe osteoarthritis and are over the age of 50.  Before the surgery you will be given anesthesia, and then an 8-12 inches deep cut will be made in the front of the knee. The damaged part of the joint will be taken out from the surface of the bones. These surfaces will then be shaped so that they can hold an artificial joint made from either metal or plastic. The artificial joint is attached to the thigh bone, shin and knee cap either with the help of cement or a special material. Once the process is done, the attached parts will form the joint with the support of surrounding muscles and ligaments to function.  After the knee joint replacement, you may walk with the support of parallel bars and after a few days you can switch to walking devices such as crutches or walker. Make sure that you only switch to walking devices when your knee is able to support your full body weight. After six-eight weeks you will probably be able to walk without or minimal assistance. Watch this video and learn more about knee replacement surgery with Dr. Debashish Chanda.