 Video 1
Learn about Rotating Platform knees, designed to meet your body's need for normal knee rotation.
Video 2
Rotating Platform knees are different from traditional knee replacements. Find out what this could mean for you.
The steps involved in replacing the
knee begin with making an incision on the front of the
knee to allow access to the knee joint. This incision has
become shorter now that we use minimally-invasive surgical
instruments and techniques.
Shaping the Distal Femoral Bone: Once
the knee joint is entered, a special cutting jig is placed
on the end of the femur. This jig is used to make sure
that the bone is cut in the proper alignment to the leg's
original angles, even if the arthritis has made you bowlegged
or knock-kneed. The jig is used to cut several pieces
of bone from the distal femur so that the artificial
knee can replace the worn surfaces with a metal surface.
Preparing the Tibial Bone: Attention
is then turned toward the lower bone, the tibia. The
top of the tibia is cut using another jig that ensures
the alignment is satisfactory.
Preparing the Patella: The undersurface
of the patella is removed.
Placing the Femoral Component: The
metal femoral component is then placed on the femur.
The metal prosthesis is cut so that it matches the
taper almost exactly. With a cemented femoral component,
an epoxy cement is used to attach the metal prosthesis
to the bone.
Placing the Tibial Components: The
metal tray that will hold the polyethylene spacer is
attached to the top of the tibia. The metal tray is
cemented into place. The plastic spacer is then attached
to the metal tray of the tibial component. If this
component wears out while the rest of the artificial
knee is sound, it can be replaced.
Placing the Patellar Component:
A patella button is sometimes cemented into place
behind the patella depending on the degree of arthritis.
The artificial knee replacement is now complete.
Closing the Incision:
Nylon stitches or absorbable stitches are used to
close the skin. Nylon has withstood the test of time
and is nearly as inert as stainless steel. It is
strong and holds well until it is removed (somewhere
between 10-14 days after surgery).
Components for Knee Replacement Surgery
Implant designs vary in important ways to meet specific
patient needs. Restoration of normal knee joint function
is the goal of knee replacement surgery. We select the
implant based on the patient’s anatomy, degree of
looseness of the knee, their range of motion and their
planned sports activities.
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