What is unicompartmental knee replacement?
This involves replacing only one compartment of the knee. This is a good option in early cases of arthritis where only one compartment (usually the medial) is affected by arthritic process. The advantage with this type of knee replacement is that it preserves that part of the knee which is not affected.
Unicompartmental implant in a plastic bone model Unicondylar knee implant
Advantages of unicompartmental knee replacement
This is considered a form of minimally invasive surgery as it involves replacing only the affected compartment of the knee and preserving the unaffected compartment. Further, it is possible to achieve this through a smaller skin incision. This decreases the morbidity of the procedure, reduces the hospital stay and allows patients to return to activity earlier (than after a total knee replacement).
Who is an ideal patient for unicompartmental knee replacement?
The ideal patient for a unicompartmental knee replacement is a young, active patient with arthritis predominantly involving only one compartment without much involvement of the rest of the knee, minimal deformity of the knee (less than 10-15% of varus, valgus or flexion deformity), and a good range of motion (movement) in the knee. A patient with unstable knee due to a tear or deficiency of the ACL or with an inflammatory type of arthritis is not an ideal candidate for this procedure.
Medial compartmental OA treated with unicompartmental knee replacement