Joint pain is one of the most common problem faced, affecting activities of daily living and quality of life. Knee joint is much more affected than other joints,
reasons varying from osteoarthritis due to old age), post injury (fractures in the knee joint), rarely infections like tuberculosis and Rheumatoid arthritis (disease affecting multiple joints).
Initially the pain is minimal, but as the arthritis(joint damage) progresses, symptoms become worse, disabling the person. So the end point is rest pain, night pain and pain during walking along with restrictions of movements in the joint.
Elderly patients restrict their activity because of this lack of mobility, especially if they are obese, diabetic & hypertensive it seriously affects their cardiorespiratory reserve. After thorough evaluation and treatment, total knee joint replacement works wonders getting back to normal pain free joint activities, improving the body status as a whole. Post-surgery you can walk immediately and hospital stay is only for 3-5 days. No restrictions are imposed, except for sitting cross legged and squatting which can compromise the prosthesis.
The replaced joint lasts for 15 to 20 years (the imported prosthesis used are extensively tested in the lab) which means it last for a lifetime in the elderly. There is a lot of research going on with regards to the prosthesis, to the extent that now you can have a custom made knee joint made just for you. To make it more precise & accurate computer navigation and robotic assistance help in a big way. Materials used in the prosthesis are also undergoing a lot of development so that it improves the longevity of the prosthesis. In complex scenarios where the joint is very much angulated or destroyed following injury, there are special prosthesis design options available to get a pain free joint.
So, there should be no hesitation in going for a knee replacement when you come to a point where it is affecting your daily life activities, so that you can be painfree and lead a normal life. We at ASTRA Ortho n Spine Center provide comprehensive and latest cutting edge technology solutions to all joint problems which includes Total knee replacement, Total Hip replacement, Navigation assisted joint replacements, Partial knee replacements & custom made knee replacements, Shoulder & elbow replacements and revision hip & knee replacements at affordable cost.
-Dr B C Bhanu Prakash
Fix Appointments: +91 9677311333
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