A knee prosthesis is an artificial knee joint. It is used in cases of knee osteoarthritis and when other therapeutic measures have failed. Depending on the extent of the osteoarthritis, knee specialists replace individual parts of the joint or the entire knee joint. Patients are usually able to put weight on their knee again a few weeks after the operation.
You can find more information and selected specialists here.
A knee prosthesis (artificial knee joint, knee endoprosthesis) is a replacement for the knee joint. Doctors replace the joint partially or completely (total knee endoprosthesis = knee TEP).
The insertion of a knee prosthesis is the most frequently performed orthopaedic operation in Germany. Patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis in particular benefit from this operation. It restores the functionality of the knee joint and significantly improves quality of life.
The durability of a knee endoprosthesis is 15 years or longer.
The most common reason for an artificial knee joint is osteoarthritis of the knee (gonarthrosis). Osteoarthritis of the knee is a painful, pathological wear and tear of the knee joint.
Osteoarthritis of the knee can occur for several reasons:
The implantation of a knee prosthesis is advisable in the following cases:
In rare cases, other diseases in addition to osteoarthritis may make a knee joint prosthesis necessary, such as
Depending on the extent of the knee osteoarthritis and the patient's needs, knee prosthesis specialists have several types to choose from.
In arthroplasty, doctors generally differentiate between
With a knee TEP, doctors replace the entire knee joint with a surface replacement. The surgeon decides between a CR (posterior cruciate) or PS (posterior stabilized) version. If the posterior cruciate ligament is intact, the CR version is used; if it is not intact, the PS version is used.
A TEP can also be performed as an axis-guided knee prosthesis. In an axis-guided knee prosthesis, the components of the artificial knee joint are connected, i.e. coupled.
These systems are suitable for:
If a patient has allergies to metals, allergy implants are also used.
The artificial knee joint is usually anchored using a special bone cement (antibiotic-containing, fast-hardening plastic).
Hybrid anchoring is also used . In this case, doctors fix the lower leg section with bone cement. They clamp the femoral part in the area of the thigh. In the long term, the femoral part must then grow into the bone.
The full prosthesis replaces the entire joint surface, the partial prosthesis only replaces part of it @ Adisak /AdobeStock
Before the operation, the doctor decides together with the patient which type of knee prosthesis and which anchoring technique will be used.
The types of knee prosthesis include
The knee prosthesis specialists perform the operation as an inpatient under general or partial anesthesia.
They expose the joint, remove the worn parts of the joint and adapt the bone to the artificial joint.
The fitting is carried out by:
Depending on the knee joint prosthesis, the operation takes between 1-2.5 hours.
Patients are given a local infiltration anesthetic during the operation to relieve postoperative pain, which usually lasts for 48 hours.
Pain regimens are also used so that the patient can get up and do physiotherapy on the day of the operation.
Post-operative pain is reduced due to the pain therapy started during the operation. Patients can therefore perform their first passive movement exercises the day after the operation.
Patients can then start physiotherapy exercises and take their first steps with support. The 6 to 10-day hospital stay is followed by 3 to 4 weeks of outpatient or inpatient rehabilitation.
Most patients are able to put weight on the knee joint again after a few weeks. The doctor then decides whether and from when the patient can take part in gentle sports. However, the patient should avoid contact sports in the long term.
In most cases, full weight-bearing is permitted immediately after the procedure @ vschlichting /AdobeStock
Knee prosthesis specialists are usually specialists in:
Special clinics for knee prostheses are orthopaedic clinics and clinics for trauma surgery.
It is not possible to designate a clinic as the "best clinic" or "top clinic" for knee prosthesis surgery. However, there are doctors and clinics that specialize in knee prosthesis implantation. They therefore have a great deal of experience. You can find these experts in the Leading Medicine Guide.
In the Leading Medicine Guide, you will find selected, highly qualified medical experts and specialists. All listed doctors have a high level of expertise in the field of artificial knee joint implantation.
The Leading Medicine Guide's quality assurance is ensured by the following acceptance prerequisites.
