You Likely Don't Need A Knee Replacement (80% Don't)

Before You Replace the Whole Knee, Slow Down

Millions of people with knee arthritis are told that total knee replacement is their only real option. The reality is different: many of those patients do NOT need the whole joint replaced.

Knees often do not wear out evenly. One part of the knee may be badly arthritic while the rest of the joint is still healthy. Before removing the entire knee joint, it is worth asking whether a more targeted option could solve the problem with less invasive surgery.

Why Total Knee Replacement Should Not Be the First Answer

Total knee replacement can be the right operation for a truly worn-out knee. But it should not be the automatic answer for every painful arthritic knee.

Replacing the whole knee means removing healthy tissue along with damaged tissue. For active people, that choice can shape how the knee feels, how it moves, and what sports or activities are possible afterward.

If you have only been offered a total knee replacement, you may not have heard the full story. With modern approaches, there are often more options than patients are told: biologic injections, biologic knee repair and replacement, partial knee replacement, and, when necessary, more advanced robotic techniques for full knee replacement.

Knee Replacement Alternatives to Consider First

At The Stone Clinic, the procedure is tailored to each patient's unique knee and recovery goals, not to a one-size-fits-all pathway. Depending on the joint, options may include biologic injections, BioKnee procedures, robotic partial knee replacement, or other knee-preserving approaches.

PRP combined with hyaluronic acid (HA) may help reduce inflammation and pain for some arthritic knees. BioKnee procedures can repair, regenerate, or replace damaged biologic tissues when enough joint space remains. Robotic partial knee replacement is appropriate when arthritis is limited to one part of the knee and the rest of the joint is still healthy. And, if needed, this procedure may be expanded to a bi-compartmental knee replacement or a total knee replacement later in life. So, no options are lost by taking this approach to preserving your knee. 

If You Truly Need Total Knee Replacement, Choose the Right Kind

Many knees do require a full joint replacement. But when they do, the type of knee replacement matters.

At The Stone Clinic, Dr. Kevin Stone uses robotic guidance, CT-based planning, and modern uncemented components when a full knee resurfacing is necessary. This approach is designed to place the implant with high precision, allow bone to grow into and fuse with the implant, and, when appropriate, avoid resurfacing the kneecap.

For active people, this choice can shape the next decades of life. The right procedure can help preserve the ability to exercise, play sports, build strength, and maintain long-term health; the wrong one can accelerate the decline that comes with inactivity.

The Goal: The Least Surgery Needed to Stay Active

Dr. Stone's goal is to choose the procedure with the patient that requires the least amount of surgery necessary to heal injured joints and safely return patients to full activity.

For some people, that may mean injections or biologic knee repair. For others, it may mean robotic partial knee replacement. And when a full replacement is truly needed, modern robotic and uncemented techniques can offer a very different path from older manual, cemented knee replacement.

Learn More About Your Knee Options

For a deeper look at alternatives to total knee replacement and knee replacement with robotics at The Stone Clinic, explore:

• Is Total Knee Replacement Right for Me? (Q&A with Dr. Stone)
• BioKnee: Biologic Rather Than Artificial Knee Replacement
• Robotic Joint Center at The Stone Clinic
• Alternatives to Artificial Knee Replacement Reviewed by Dr. Stone

Download the Saving My Knees Guide to understand the knee-saving options that may help you delay or avoid artificial joint replacement.

Before You Choose Total Knee Replacement

If you've been told you need a total knee replacement, work with Dr. Stone to find out whether your knee can be treated with less surgery and what option gives you the best chance to stay active.

• Live locally? Book your appointment online and start your recovery now. 
• Live outside the San Francisco Bay Area? We offer a complimentary pre-appointment consultation to get started