Knee Replacement Surgery – Indications and Contraindications
Knee replacement surgery is performed in patients suffering from severe osteoarthritis or other arthritis that causes severe pain and limit mobility.
Knee replacement surgery is performed to improve the function of damaged knees, alleviate the patient’s pain and improve the quality of life. Indications for total knee replacement surgery are knee joint failure caused by osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, and other types of inflammatory arthritis. Candidates should fulfill the following criteria for total knee replacement:
- They should show evidence of knee damage on imaging studies
- They should suffer from moderate to severe pain that cannot be relieved by nonsurgical methods tried over a long period
- The knee function should be decreased to such an extent that it affects their quality of life.
Other indications include severe trauma or deformity to the knee in young individuals. The implant may wear off with time in younger patients, hence patients have to limit their activities and avoid sport like football, basketball and gymnastics.
Contraindications to knee replacement surgery include:
- Active local or widespread infection
- Other medical conditions that put the patient at an increased risk for complications or death during or after the surgery
- Some surgeons may prefer to avoid surgery if the patient suffers from severe disease affecting peripheral blood vessels or nerves.
