The replacement of the knee is a surgical procedure that improves the life quality of many patients having severe arthritis and decreases the pain. Generally, the surgery takes place after the non- operative treatments (such as activity moderation, anti-inflammatory remedy, or the knee joint injections) haven't succeeded to prevent arthritic symptoms. Surgeons are performing knee replacements from over three decades typically with good results. Most of the reports have a success rate of 10 years in the excess of 90 percent. Generally, there are two ways of total knee replacement.
- Traditional approach
- Minimally-invasive (sometimes called quadriceps-sparing) approach
The newest procedure for knee replacement is Minimally-invasive (quadriceps-sparing total knee replacement). This procedure supports the doctors to inject the same time-tested comfortable knee replacement inserted through a small incision by surgical approach.
It keeps away trauma from the most important quadriceps muscle around the knee. This technique is also called quadriceps-sparing knee replacement. In this, an incision of length 3-4" is there. It takes very little time for recovery. It allows the patients to walk with a stick within 2 weeks or earlier after the surgery. The surgery contains a less traumatic surgical approach. This leads to the decrement in the post-operative pain and reduces the need for rehabilitation therapy as compared to the traditional approaches.
Advantages of Minimally-invasive technique
- Early recovery of knee function
The patients who go for knee replacement by this newest technique tends to get their muscle control and strength back faster as compared to the patients having a traditional total knee replacement. The reason is that unlike the traditional knee replacement, the quadriceps muscles and tendons do not get separated during the surgical exposure. And also the knee cap is not inverted in the minimally- invasive quadriceps-sparing total knee replacement.
- Small incision
While this procedure is not worth the cosmetic benefits, many candidates opt for the smaller incision. Traditional knee replacement often measures 8" or larger incisions. It is about 4" for the minimally-invasive quadriceps-sparing knee replacement.
- Less pain
As the length of the incision is smaller in this technique, so the patients have to suffer less pain. The other reason is that the incision does not interfere in the quadriceps muscle or tendon group.
Disadvantages of minimally-invasive technique.
- New procedure
Though doctors have studied the methods that are recent and verified by only a few surgeons or scientists. An experienced knee replacement surgeon has to perform many more surgeries by the traditional approach than the less-invasive method. The more procedure a surgeon does, the more trustworthy results are.
- Time-consuming
As the doctor operates through a small surgical incision, it takes more time to operate and therefore it takes more time to operate as compared to the traditional method. This can increase the possibility of intraoperative injury to ligament or tendon, which can affect the result.
Patients for Minimally Invasive Total Knee Replacement
Minimally Invasive total knee replacement is not advisable for all the patients. You must consult a doctor whether the procedure is suitable for you or not. Generally, the patients for the surgery are healthier, younger, thinner, and motivated to engage in a rehabilitation process, as compared to the patients of the traditional surgery.
Minimally invasive surgeries are not advisable for the candidates who are overweight and already have other knee surgeries. Candidates having significant deformity of knees, and are muscular or having health problems are at increased risk of problems from minimally invasive total knee replacement.
CONCLUSION
Minimally invasive knee replacement is an emerging area and more research is required on its long-term durability and function.
Like all the surgeries, minimally invasive knee replacement surgery has also a risk of complications. The complications are blood clots, infection, wound healing problems, nerve and artery injuries, and defect in the positioning of prosthetic knee implants.
The benefits of minimally invasive knee replacement include less painful and quicker recovery, less damage to soft tissues, and a quick return to normal activities. It has been reported that the long term advantages of minimally invasive surgery are the same as that of traditional knee replacement surgery.
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