ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT

Great advancements have been made in the last 5 years in Knee Replacement Surgery. Perhaps the greatest breakthroughs have been advanced implant materials, rotating knee bearings, gender specific knee designs, computer-assisted surgery (CAS), multimodal peri-operative pain control, minimally invasive muscle sparing surgery and partial knee replacements.

We use the Sigma Rotating Platform total knee prosthesis by Depuy Orthopedics eSIgne specIfically or both men and women) because it is designed to bend and rotate, move back and forth, flex and extend, helping to accommodate more normal movements while significantly minimizing implant wear (as compared to traditional knee replacements). Minimizing wear can help your knee replacement last longer. Studies have shown that even after 20 years, more than 97% of these implants are still in use.

We use the computer to help us accurately place the prosthesis. The computer offers visual mapping to help us make decisions before and throughout the knee replacement operation. The objective is to combine the precision and accuracy of computer technology with our skills to perform surgery.

"Minimally invasive"(MIS) and "muscle sparing" operative techniques as well as peri-operative pain management regimens gives our patients minimal postoperative pain and allows for an easier and faster recovery. In addition to faster recovery, there may be potential benefits such as less bleeding and smaller scars for improved cosmetics.

We offer Unicompartmental Knee Arthrplasty (UKA) or partial knee replacements to those patients who have degenerative arthritis isolated to one area of the knee. This procedure preserves two-thirds of the patients natural, healthy knee tissue. The advantages of the UKA are that it offers hope for longer relief, shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, easier rehabilitation, less scaring and a more natural feeling knee during activities. To learn more, visit www.preservation-uni.com

Drs. Johnson, Almand and O'Mara routinely use implants provided by DePuy Orthopedics. Please see www.KneeReplacement.com for a more in-depth explanation of the operation, implants, MIS, CAS and rehabilitation.

Please view our link to Baptist Total Joint Center of Excellence for our specific postoperative rehabilitation protocols.