Dr. Sinukumar Bhaskaran – Unicompartmental/ Partial Knee Arthroplasty
Unicompartmental knee microplasty can help in early recovery in arthritic patients, says Dr Sinukumar Bhaskaran, senior knee arthroplasty surgeon. Excerpts:
What is an unicompart- mental knee microplasty procedure?
It is a type of resurfacing of the knee in which only the damaged area of the joint is resurfaced and capped.
How does this procedure work?
The structure of the knee joint is divied into three separate compartments and then the remaining two compartments are affected. Hence, the unicompartmental microplasty prevents the worn out surfaces from rubbing against each other in the affected compartment and also halts the damage in other compartments.
What are the advantages of under-going the procedure?
This procedure replaces only about 30% of the native knee, Significant parts of the knee are left untouched and this helps maintain the biomechanics and sensation of the natural knee. Along with pain relief after the procedure, patients can return to their daily routine much quicker.
Can all arthritic patients undergo the procedure?
It depends on the extent of cartilage involvement and the ligament status
Does it work as a permanent solution?
The recent scientific data has clearly indicates that the unicompartmental mircoplasty has almost equal longevity patterns as total knee replacement.