Unicompartmental Knee Prosthesis as an option for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. (Part Three)
Risks and Complications
Unicompartmental knee replacement is a procedure that may carry complications during and after the procedure is performed.
This procedure carries the same potential surgical complications as total knee replacement, which briefly are as follows:
- Instability due to component positioning or due to inadequate ligament balance
- Loosening of the implant over time
- Infection of the implant
- Deep vein thrombosis and thromboembolism
- Nerve damage
- Damage to the popliteal artery
- Fractures of the bone components
- Problems with wound healing
- Hematoma
- Pain or limited range of motion after the procedure
Summary
If applied selectively in the right patients and by experienced surgeons, the Unicompartmental Prosthesis can offer survival and success rates comparable to Total Knee Prosthesis. Careful selection of patients for Unicompartmental Prosthesis remains the key to the success of this surgical procedure. Currently, it is estimated that only 6 – 10% of patients may be considered acceptable candidates for this type of procedure.
The Unicompartmental Prosthesis requires a less invasive surgical procedure, which potentially results in a faster postoperative healing time. It should also be noted that recent studies have highlighted that the Unicompartmental Prosthesis results in a better range of motion of the knee compared to the standard Total Knee Prosthesis.
However, because revision of the Unicompartmental Prosthesis to a Total Prosthesis does not always yield a result similar to that of the primary total knee prosthesis, younger patients with a high level of physical activity should be carefully evaluated considering the indications and contraindications for a unicompartmental prosthesis.
Patients should understand that weight gain and increased physical activity can potentially lead to a quick failure of the procedure, and conversion to a total knee prosthesis may not yield the same result as a primary total knee prosthesis.
References
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