A total knee replacement either arthroplasty is the replacement of the joint of the knee by some components of alloys (chrome , cobalt and molybdenum , titanium u oxinium ), combined with special polyethylenes and I know join the bone ok by cement or without cement with surfaces rough , porous or screws . All this with the purpose of return the mobility and alignment of the knee , as well as avoid pain caused by the wear of the osteoarthritis.
The replacement of the joint of the knee is conditioned by pain that incapacitates for daily life as a result of wear caused by osteoarthritis , caused above all by the age or by some previous accident that also leads to the same wear . For this , a knee prosthesis is placed , which will sometimes be cemented and in others will not require cementation .
There are very complex cases that have undergone several previous interventions to solve serious fractures and I know they find the limit of possibilities for placement .
The purpose of all prosthetics is to eliminate pain that incapacitates for a normal life and reset the alignment of the knee for the wandering and with expectation of a long duration .
DOES THE KNEE PROSTHESIS NEED REHABILITATION ?
You need to start the rehabilitation within 24 hours after the intervention and with help of motorized splints that perform a passive movement , slow and painless, reaching 90º of bending in the first week , moment in which is high of the clinic . Subsequently , rehabilitation follows your home or in a specialized center . This is addressed to strengthen muscles that flex and extend the knee so that wander be safe though help from canes .
A from the 3rd or 4th day you can walk with the canes supporting the walking limb , although depending on the conditions of bone and the kind of intervention your surgeon will authorize load more or lower weight on this knee .
Between the 6th and 7th day you can double the knee to sit properly on a chair now Next you will learn to go up and go down stairs with help of the canes or the handrail of the ladder .
Later , at home, sitting on a table, you can follow the muscle strengthening exercises and also walk down the street , always with the help of walking sticks .
Between 2nd-3rd month could perform tasks such as swimming , drive and all that is not requires jumping or run , since I know considers that the bone will stabilizes from the 6th month .