Knee replacement is an invasive approach to treating an injured or ailing knee. While knee replacement is an actual operation that can take many months to recuperate from it is a treatment option for many people that can no longer use their knees proficiently. Here is some important information on knee replacement.
Knee replacement or total knee replacement as it is commonly called actually replaces certain parts of the knee that due to injury, sickness, or age no longer work properly. Knee replacement can be referred for people that have had arthritis, a sports related injury or a serious accident.
Many people that suffer from arthritis may need a knee replacement in their lifetime, knee replacements vary widely and every knee replacement is different depending on the age of the patient, extent of the damage, and expected use of the knee. Most knee replacements do not last a lifetime.
Depending on your knee replacement, you may get 8 to 25 years of use. A person with an active lifestyle may get less use out of their knee replacement than a person that is older or is less active.
Knee replacement may be needed for either one knee as in a sports injury, or for both knees due to an illness or accident. If you need knee replacement for both knees, you will probably consult with your doctor on whether an operation should be done for one knee replacement or for both knee replacements at the same time.
While knee replacement can have you fully functional again, it may take some time to recuperate from your surgery. Many people usually are able to go back to work after a few weeks or a month, but expect at least a few months to a year to be back to normal. So if you have troubled knees that are becoming terminally worse, consult your physician regarding knee replacement.