Total Knee Replacement

Total knee replacement (TKR) is a very successful operation in orthopaedic surgery. It is indicated for patients with painful arthritis of the knee not responsive to other treatment and that is interfering with function and quality of life
The procedure involves resurfacing the diseased surfaces of the knee with metal and polyethylene.

Recent innovations in orthopaedic technology have led to the development of computer navigation in joint replacement. This involves using “trackers” attached to the knee surfaces that have a “line of sight” connection to the computer. This gives the surgeon absolute real-time feedback and information allowing precision placement of the individual components of the knee replacement. It is important to have this perfect alignment of the knee replacement to ensure it`s longevity. I prefer to use this system now for all of my knee replacements.

The surgery takes about an hour and a half. Patients are typically in hospital for 5 – 7 days after which time an outpatient rehabillitation program is commenced.