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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staff
A knee replacement can decrease pain and disability in people with knee problems caused by osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other degenerative conditions, such as avascular necrosis — a condition in which obstructed blood flow causes your bone tissue to die.
Knee replacement may help you if:
- You have pain that limits activities such as walking, climbing stairs and getting in and out of chairs, or you experience moderate or severe knee pain at rest.
- You have limited function or mobility, such as chronic knee stiffness and swelling that prevent you from bending and straightening your knee.
- You've tried other methods to improve symptoms, for example, resting, weight loss, physical therapy, a cane or other walking aid, medications, braces and surgery, but they've failed.
- You have a knee deformity, such as a joint that bows in or out.
- You're age 55 or older. Knee replacement is typically performed in older adults, but it may be considered for adults of all ages. Young, physically active people are more likely to wear out their new knee prematurely. For those people, a doctor may recommend continued nonsurgical treatment or suggest an alternative surgery such as arthroscopy, leg straightening (osteotomy), or a partial knee replacement, which replaces fewer components than does a total knee replacement.
- You're generally healthy. Good candidates for knee replacement are typically healthy, without conditions such as restricted blood flow, diabetes, or infections that can complicate surgery and recovery. Obesity alone won't disqualify you from surgery, but it may slow healing and increase your risk of infection after surgery.
