Partial knee replacement

Alternative Names: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty; Knee replacement - partial; Unicondylar knee replacement; Arthroplasty - unicompartmental knee; UKA; Minimally invasive partial knee replacement

A partial knee replacement is surgery to replace either the inside (medial) or outside (lateral) parts of the knee. It is called a partial replacement because only one part of the damage knee is replaced.

See also: Total knee replacement

Description of Procedure

Partial knee replacement surgery removes damaged tissue and bone in the knee joint and replaces the area with a man-made implant, called a prosthetic.

Before surgery, you will be given anesthesia, which is medicine that blocks pain. You will have one of two types:

• General anesthesia makes you unalert and unable to feel pain.
• Regional ( spinal or epidural) anesthesia numbs you below your waist. You will also receive medicines to make you relax or feel sleepy.

The surgeon will make a cut over your knee.This cut is about 3 to 5 inches long.

• Next, the doctor examines the entire knee joint. If there is damage to more than one part of your knee, you may need a total knee replacement. Most of the time, however, this is not needed.
• The damaged bone and tissue is removed.
• A man-made part made of plastic and metal is placed into the knee.
• Once it is in the proper place, it is secured with bone cement.
• The wound is closed with stitches.

Risks of Partial knee replacement

Risks for anesthesia include:

• Problems breathing
• Reactions to medications

Risks for any surgery include:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Risks for UKA include:

• Blood clots
• Fluid buildup in the knee joint
• Implant failure
• Nerve and blood vessel damage
• Pain with kneeling
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (rare)

Knee joint	The structure of a joint	Partial knee replacement - series

Review Date: 9/23/2011
Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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