| Knee replacement surgery is becoming one of the | | | | complications that come from having a total knee |
| most common major surgeries performed in the | | | | replacement. By not waiting until more of the knee is |
| United States today. Whether the cause is the | | | | destroyed there is a better chance of restoring |
| increase in people suffering from obesity or just | | | | nearly full movement to a patient's knees. |
| more awareness about the difference that complete | | | | Regardless of whether a patient is undergoing partial |
| knee replacement can make in the quality of life for | | | | or complete knee replacement surgery there is |
| those suffering from debilitating joint failure, the fact | | | | always a risk of complications. In the short term, you |
| is that more and more people are walking around | | | | have the pain associated with the operation, the risk |
| through the miracle of knee replacements like the | | | | of infection, blood clots and the possibility that the |
| Sigma (DePuy Knee) by Johnson & Johnson. As | | | | replacement may fail. The rehabilitation process is also |
| the number of people getting new knees has | | | | lengthy, painful and includes many hours spent |
| increased so too has awareness about the possible | | | | conditioning and stretching the knee joints for |
| long term complications of knee replacements. | | | | flexibility and mobility. Many patients require the use |
| Knee replacement surgery used to be considered a | | | | of a flex or CPM -- Continuous Passive Motion -- |
| last resort solution for joint pain. Doctors and patients | | | | machine to help restore movement. |
| would exhaust every other possible therapy before | | | | The more years that go by with knee surgeries |
| finally considering this highly invasive surgery. People | | | | being performed, the more information we have |
| understood that the recovery time was very | | | | about the long term complications of knee |
| extended and that the results did not always include | | | | replacements. Most data available today only deals |
| a return to full knee mobility. What is now | | | | with problems that arise in the first three years |
| understood though is that undergoing a partial knee | | | | following the surgery. As there are patients living with |
| replacement earlier on may reduce the possibility of | | | | artificial knees for longer and longer periods of time, |
| the patient suffering some of the long term | | | | more and more information is being collected. |