What is Partial Knee Replacement?

This is a new concept. A Partial knee replacement is a replacement of only the affected part of the knee and not the entire knee in younger patients between 40 to 59.

In patello femoral replacement or knee cap bone replacement, the knee cap bone,  which is a ball bearing type of bone, in the front of the knee, is worn out as in chondomalacia patella stage III & IV, and the rest of the knee, would be normal. Patello femoral arthritis gives pain, when the patient goes up, and down stairs, or tries to get up from a chair, after sitting for a long time. Similarly Unicondylar partial knee replacement, is replacement of only one side of the knee, that is affected, and only that half, is replaced. For eg.: If the inner side of the knee,  only has arthritis, only the inner side is replaced for the new lining, this is called Unicondylar Knee Replacement.

There are three  Compartments in the Knee, All three Compartments, are worn out in severe arthritis, & elderly people, here a Total Knee Replacement works very well.  However younger age between 40 To 59 years of age, any one compartment in the Knee joint, when worn out, needs replacement, of that particular compartment. This partial replacement is known as ‘’ UNICONDYLAR KNEE REPLACEMENT “ (one sided replacement) and “ Patello femoral Knee replacement (Knee cap only)“

The patient can be pain free for one decade as more and same can be converted to Total Knee Replacement at a later date, say after one decade, or more.

The advantage of a partial knee replacement as compared to a total is, it is less invasive, a Smaller, and shorter operation, with much less post operative recovery time, a short hospital stay, less pain, minimum blood loss.

A Partial Knee Replacement is useful for younger patients and can last 10 – 15 years or more. If a partial knee, needs a conversion to a Total Knee Replacement, in future, this surgery is compatible with a full replacement. In a patello-femoral replacement, the patella or knee cap bone, the same continues as a Total Knee without changing it. A Total knee gives 12 to 20 years of additional years.

HOSMAT is the first hospital in India to do a Patello Femoral Replacement, and the first
to do a Unicondylar replacement, using the latest American Design).

Dr. Thomas A Chandy – a U S Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with 17 years experience in the U.S., & Chief of  Orthopaedics in HOSMAT for 16 years –  has done several partial knee surgeries in the 1990’s in the U.S., and spent some time in Switzerland, in September 2010 – operating on several partial knee replacements there. He has been visiting the U.S. twice a year studying the partial knee replacement designs, since 2006.

HOSMAT has successfully done over 6000 Knee & HIP replacements in the past 18 years.