The knee joint is one of the pivotal joints of the body. It is the place where the thigh bone, which carries the weight of the entire body, meets with the shin bone and the foot. They are connected together by a group of ligaments (cruciate ligaments) that determine the range of movement of the leg in different directions. Surgical interventions in the joint are among the important operations that It requires high precision in its procedure. In the following article, we learn together, through Dr. Ibrahim Jadou, a consultant in orthopedic and arthroplasty surgery, about the reasons for resorting to surgical intervention and performing a knee joint replacement operation and the steps for performing it.

When do we resort to knee joint replacement surgery?

The thigh and leg bones are separated by a layer of protective tissue called cartilage. Its primary function is to absorb shocks, facilitate the sliding of the two bones over each other during movement, and avoid friction between the ends of the bones, which may lead to roughness and erosion of cartilage.

Some cases suffer from chronic osteoarthritis and erosion of the cartilage lining the knee joint as a result of several factors, some of which are hereditary and others to which the patient is exposed throughout his life, which leads to the affected person feeling severe pain in the leg and its curvature.

Mild cases of knee osteoarthritis are treated by injecting anti-inflammatory substances such as plasma or hyaluronic acid into the affected joint to reduce the deterioration of the injury, relieve the pain felt by the patient, and improve joint movement, in addition to complete rest and regular taking of the medications prescribed by the doctor.

While cases of advanced injury, which lead to a change in the shape of the shin bone and caused the patient to lose his ability to move, require surgical intervention and knee joint replacement as a basic treatment solution that is not a substitute for other alternatives.

Examination and diagnosis

At Dr. Jado Center, cases of knee osteoarthritis are diagnosed after conducting a set of tests to evaluate the condition of the joint bones and the extent of the damage to them. These tests include the following:

• Clinical examination, which is the first examination that the doctor performs to examine the affected leg and determine the patient’s ability to move.
• CT scan. The doctor follows the clinical examination with CT scan to obtain a complete picture of the joint, assess the amount of wear of the cartilage and bone heads, and determine the extent to which the cartilage can be treated with injections or through a knee joint replacement operation.

Steps of the knee joint replacement procedure

Doctors resort to surgical intervention in cases of advanced cartilage erosion and severe friction of the bone heads with each other. The process of replacing the knee joint at Dr. Ibrahim Jadu Center proceeds as follows:

1. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia for the patient.
2. Make a surgical incision in the knee area.
3. Getting rid of rough bone tissue.
4. Installing a new layer similar to the cartilage layer and attaching it to the bones.

The size of the artificial joint varies depending on the degree of wear. In cases of advanced osteoarthritis, the doctor may need to install a medical brace with the joint to compensate for bone damage.

After knee joint replacement surgery, the patient needs to undergo conservative treatment and some physical therapy sessions in order to be able to walk on his feet normally again.