Minimally-invasive Partial Knee Replacement

The knee is comprised of three compartments – medial, lateral, and patellofemoral (behind the kneecap).  If one of the compartments is arthritic and the other two are healthy, a patient may be a candidate for a partial (unicompartmental) knee replacement after all other conservative treatments have been exhausted.  A partial knee replacement involves replacing the diseased bony surfaces with small metal and hard polyethylene plastic components.

Dr. Nixon performs many partial knee replacements each year, and uses the same quadriceps-sparing minimally-invasive approach that he uses for total knee replacements.  The procedure is less traumatic than a total knee replacement, and the recovery is much more accelerated.  Patients can usually go home the same day as the surgery or may stay overnight in the hospital.  Frequently, patients are walking without a walking aid within a week.

To learn more about minimally-invasive partial knee replacements, visit http://www.zimmer.com/en-US/pc/article/mis-knee.jspx.