Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

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The structure of a joint

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is surgery to replace either the inside (medial) or outside (lateral) compartments of the knee.

Because only one part of the damaged knee is replaced, it is often called a partial knee replacement.

See also: Total knee replacement

Partial knee replacement; Knee replacement - partial; Unicondylar knee replacement; Arthroplasty - unicompartmental knee; UKA; Minimally invasive partial knee replacement

Partial knee replacement surgery involves removing damaged cartilage and bone in the knee joint. Man-made (artificial) pieces called prostheses are then placed in the knee.

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You will not feel any pain during surgery because you will receive anesthesia, medicine that blocks pain. You will have one of these two types of anesthesia:

• General anesthesia. This means you will be unconscious and unable to feel pain.
• Regional ( spinal or epidural) anesthesia. Medicine is put into your back to make you numb below your waist. You will also get medicine to make you sleepy if you have this type of anesthesia.

After you receive anesthesia, your surgeon will make a surgical cut over your knee to open it up. This cut is often 3 to 5 inches long. Then your surgeon will:

• Examine the whole inner knee area. If damage is found in more than one part of your knee, you may need a total knee replacement. Most of the time, however, this is not needed.
• The damaged bone is removed and replaced with an implant (prosthetic) that is made of plastic and metal.
• The ends of the thigh and shin bone will be cut and shaped to fit the implant.
• Once the implant is in the proper place, it is secured with bone cement and the wound is closed with stitches.

The most common reason to have a knee joint replaced is to relieve severe arthritis pain. Your doctor may recommend knee joint replacement if:

• You are having symptoms of knee arthritis, such as:
  • You are unable to sleep through the night because of knee pain
  • Your knee pain prevents you from preparing meals, bathing, walking, doing household chores, or performing other daily activities
• Your knee pain has not improved with other treatments (medicine, injections, and physical therapy)
• You understand what surgery and recovery will be like