Total Knee vs Partial Knee Replacement: Know the Difference

The human body is an incredible creation. It has a musculoskeletal system that is responsible for your physical form. How tall, short, broad, lean you are depends on your musculoskeletal system. Certain joints like the elbows and knees work lifelong and need to be in good shape for years so that you remain healthy.

However, every musculoskeletal system goes through its share of damage as you age or due to accidents.  Regular wear and tear, injury, arthritis, and other issues lead to plenty of damages to your knees. If this damage is serious, it necessitates a full or partial joint replacement.

It is best to understand the difference between a total knee replacement vs total knee arthroplasty:

Identify the different parts of the knee. Knees have three compartments – the medial compartment (this is the inside of the knee), the lateral compartment (this forms the outer portion) and the patellofemoral compartment (this is the front part).

Due to the injury kind or health condition, either one part of the knee or all the parts get affected. When the knee parts wear out beyond functionality or get damaged, orthopaedics recommend a process called knee replacement surgery or Arthroplasty. The knee replacement surgery includes removing damaged or diseased parts of your knee joint and replaces them with parts made of metal or plastic.

A partial knee replacement is a process where only the affected compartment gets replaced. A total knee replacement involves a process that replaces all three compartments of the knee.

Total knee replacement vs Partial knee replacement: what is the difference?

Partial Knee Replacement

Patients who suffer from osteoarthritis might damage only one of the knee compartments. It makes more sense to replace only that part than all knee components. In a partial knee replacement procedure, the ligaments in the front and back of the knee remain untouched. It is advisable always to preserve the body’s natural structure and movement as much as possible.

Additionally, a partial joint replacement process is less taxing on the body than a full joint replacement. The partial knee replacement involves lesser bone and soft tissue dissection. The procedure also results in lesser blood loss. Patients who undergo partial knee replacement recover faster. However, there may be a higher revision rate than a total knee replacement on the other side.

The revision process is a repeat surgery to solve any problems that may occur immediately after the procedure. The worst part of revisions is they are complicated than primary surgeries.

Total Knee Replacement

Here, the damaged cartilage and bone gets taken off from the surface of the knee joint and replaced with artificial components made of various materials. A total knee replacement is ideal for those with severe cases of osteoarthritis or chronic knee pain. Knowing which knee compartment is damaged helps with the decision on the joint replacement type needed.

The process provides a more full-proof repair compared to a partial knee replacement. The revision surgery rate for total knee replacements is lower than partial knee replacements.

How to decide between a partial vs full knee replacement?

An orthopaedic examines you and runs several tests to decide which process is best for you. Your medical history and type of pain and mobility determine the ideal procedure.

We are a leading medical equipment manufacturer, offers a range of innovative orthopaedic implants as far as knee replacements are concerned. Our flagship product, known as the Freedom knee, is the only 7 radii femoral implant globally. We aim at providing patients with a smooth, effective, and active lifestyle.

India’s first fully active robot with the potential of 3D pre-planning, virtual surgery, and precise cutting to provide accurate and accurate surgery results is the brainchild of Meril.

Meril has patented a product called the OPULENT BIONIK GOLD KNEE. It comes with a TiNbN coating that is highly durable. Meril also has the Freedom pck revision knee system that is ideal for correcting functional deformities, post-traumatic loss of knee joint contour, Knee fractures and revision surgeries.

If you suffer from severe knee pain and your medications and therapy do not help, consider knee replacement as the answer. This common and effective procedure reduces pain and enables you to get back to leading a healthy lifestyle.