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Our Services / Knee Replacement

Orthopaedic Specialists located in Bloomfield Hills and Clarkston, MI

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Knee Replacement

Knee replacement frees patients from the pain and reduced mobility that advanced arthritis can cause. If you’re finding non-surgical treatments for knee pain are no longer effective, the experienced physicians at Orthopedic Specialists of Oakland County can help. They specialize in performing same-day knee replacement surgery using minimally invasive techniques that reduce pain and promote faster recovery. To find out more about knee replacement and how it could help you, call the office in Bloomfield Hills or Clarkston, Michigan, or book an appointment online today.


What is knee replacement?

Knee replacement is a surgical procedure during which your surgeon at Orthopedic Specialists of Oakland County replaces a damaged knee joint with artificial components.

Knee replacement may be total, where your surgeon replaces portions of all three knee bones, or partial (unicompartmental) if any of your bone is still healthy enough to save.

Why might I need knee replacement surgery?

You might need a knee replacement if your knee suffers such a severe injury the joint isn’t repairable. It is an infrequent occurrence but might result from a serious auto accident or other significant trauma.

The primary reason for needing knee replacement is advanced osteoarthritis. The disease typically affects older people because it stems from years of wear on the joints. Prolonged joint use over your lifetime causes the cartilage that protects the bones in your knee to erode, exposing the raw bones.

Unable to slide painlessly over each other, the exposed bones catch and rub, creating friction that leads to inflammation and chronic pain. The symptoms of osteoarthritis, which also include stiffness and weakness, are usually controllable using physical therapy, medication, and joint injections.

If these methods are no longer working, your surgeon at Orthopedic Specialists of Oakland County might recommend knee replacement.

What happens during knee replacement surgery?

Knee replacement surgery involves cutting away a small quantity of bone from the top of your tibia (shin bone) and the lower end of your femur (thigh bone), where they meet to form the joint.

The replacement components are metal. Your surgeon fixes them with bone cement and may also remove a section of your patella (knee cap) and fix a piece of plastic to the bone. They then place another piece of plastic between the metal areas to create a frictionless joint. 

What does recovery from knee replacement surgery involve?

Orthopedic Specialists of Oakland County offer outpatient knee replacement. That means you can go home the same day as your surgery.

Outpatient joint replacement is now possible thanks to advances in the surgical techniques used along with better anesthesia and pain management. Outpatient knee replacement uses minimally invasive techniques that cause far less tissue damage and pain, so you recover much more quickly.

You need to use a cane for four weeks and undergo physical therapy to regain maximum use of the knee. When your recovery is complete, you should be able to do most of the activities you used to without pain or loss of function. Knee replacements often last for more than 20 years.

To find out more about same-day knee replacement, call Orthopedic Specialists of Oakland County or book an appointment online today.