Whether it is from arthritis or an injury, knee pain can have severe impacts on your daily life and happiness. It becomes difficult to do simple, normal activities such as walking around or going up and downstairs. Even when you are used to finding relief by sitting or lying down, you may feel pain or discomfort. Being incapable of completing these types of easy, everyday activities can have serious repercussions for you, so you must consult with a bone and joint specialist such as those at Atlanta Bone & Joint. 
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Some various non-surgical procedures and options can be used to help alleviate your pain, such as cortisone injections, hyaluronic gel injections, and some experiential injections like stem cells and amniotic tissue, physical therapy, and weight loss. However, if those options are no longer working for you (or may not have ever worked completely), knee replacement surgery may be the next step in your treatment process.

What is a Knee Replacement Surgery?

A knee replacement is where the surfaces that glide against each other are cut in line with a prosthesis. Based on your patient anatomy and medical guides, our Georgia knee replacement surgeons at Atlanta Bone & Joint use the rotational axis and mechanical axis to determine the proper alignment of your knee. We believe that using an anterior incision and utilizing an anterior reference technique is far superior to posterior techniques. The systems our surgeons use have been custom designed to ensure proper alignment every time.
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Knee replacement surgery is meant to stop the bone on bone arthritis pain based on the way that arthritis develops in your knee. Depending on how you use your knees and your daily activity levels, the plastic between the two metals in the prosthetic replacement can last for 25 to 30 years. Medical advancements and new technologies are being invented and implemented all the time, so it is possible that we could eventually be able to complete knee replacements that will last for the rest of your life. Currently, because Atlanta Bone & Joint uses the most cutting edge technology, it can even use cementless total knees.

Signs and Symptoms You Need a Knee Replacement

It may be tempting to think that age is the biggest determination of the need for a knee replacement, but this is not the case. There are no age or weight restrictions on who may be candidates for knee replacement surgery. Our experienced bone and joint specialists will evaluate your case individually and determine whether you are a good candidate for the surgery. We then let you decide when you feel ready to have the surgery after our thorough examination of your medical history and function level. 

Here are some of the signs to look out for if you think that your knee may need to have replacement surgery at Atlanta Bone & Joint in Decatur, Loganville, or Snellville, Georgia:

• Knee pain or stiffness that is severe enough to interfere dramatically with your everyday activities. 
  • Needing to walk with a cane or walker due to severe pain is a severe symptom.
• Resting at night or during the day continues to cause you moderate to severe knee pain.
• Inflammation or swelling that occurs regularly (chronic) and is not alleviated by rest or other medications.
• You have noticed that your knee has developed a bowing inward or outward.
• Other treatments have failed to provide you with any relief.

​If you are unsure if your symptoms may qualify you for knee replacement surgery, it is best to contact our bone and joint experts for a professional examination.

Causes for a Knee Replacement

Arthritis is the leading common cause of chronic knee pain and possible disability that may eventually result in knee replacement surgery. There are many types of arthritis, but three primary types cause the majority of knee pain cases:

• Osteoarthritis: When the cartilage that cushions the bones of the knee softens and wears away, the bones then rub against one another, which causes pain and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is known as “wear and tear” arthritis and usually occurs in those aged 50 and over, but it has been known to affect younger individuals.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: A person affected by RA suffers from chronic inflammation and thickness in the synovial membrane that surrounds the knee's joint. It can cause cartilage damage and eventual loss, pain, and stiffness.
• Post-traumatic arthritis: When you have suffered a serious knee injury such as a fracture to the bones surrounding the knee or tears of the knee ligaments, the articular cartilage may become damaged over time. This often results in knee pain and limited knee movement.

​If you are suffering from severe chronic knee pain that has seriously interfered in the normal functions of your day, it may be time to make an appointment with a bone and joint specialist such as ours in Decatur, Loganville, or Snellville, Georgia, to help determine whether or not knee replacement surgery is an option for you.

Types of Knee Replacements

Depending on the situation of your knee pain, there are a few different types of knee replacement surgeries that can be performed. If your pain level and discomfort have become so severe that it affects your everyday activities and reduces your quality of life, you must have your knee evaluated by a certified surgeon to determine whether you are a candidate for knee replacement surgery.

Total Knee Replacement

In the location where the surfaces that glide against each other in the knee are cut in line with a prosthesis, this is known as a total knee replacement. Currently, a knee replacement can last 25-30 years, depending on your activity level and knee use. At Atlanta Bone & Joint in Decatur, Loganville, or Snellville, Georgia, you can rest assured knowing that only a certified surgeon will perform your surgery. We will never allow a resident to learn from you while you are under our care.

Anterior Reference Knee Replacemen

The new standard in total knee replacement in the medical world uses the anterior reference rather than the posterior reference point. It provides more stability for the knee and femur connection and reduces the risk of any accidental damage, such as a break to the femur if placed incorrectly. We only use the anterior reference to ensure our patients' best possible results.

Partial Knee Replacement

When we discuss areas of the knee and examine the knee to determine if replacement surgery is necessary, there are three compartments that we look at: medial, lateral, and patellofemoral. If only one of these compartments has arthritis or loss of cartilage, we derive the term “partial” knee replacement because we only need to replace the injured part of the knee.

Patellofemoral Knee Replacement

The joint surface underneath the patella and the trochlea (the groove where the kneecap resides while the knee bends) is called the patellofemoral joint. If your arthritis is isolated to this specific joint, our Decatur, Loganville, or Snellville, Georgia, surgeons at Atlanta Bone & Joint can perform a patellofemoral knee replacement instead of a total knee replacement. 
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This joint often wears down on people who squat very often during their everyday lives. Still, this type of procedure is rare since arthritis is not usually isolated to only this joint, and patients will often have degenerative issues elsewhere.

Tourniquet-Less Knee Replacement

The advances in medicine related to knee replacement surgery have essentially made tourniquets unnecessary for the success of the surgery. However, most surgeons around the country still use the tourniquet for knee replacements, but our surgeons at Atlanta Bone & Joint have focused on reducing tourniquet-related pain and problems for our patients. 
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We do not use tourniquets during our knee replacement surgeries, and, as a result, our patients experience significantly less pain by not compressing and crushing thigh muscles during the operation. There is also less blood loss during surgery and faster muscle recovery. You will additionally be spending less time in the operating room because we do not have to pay extra time applying and setting the tourniquet, and you have a possible decreased risk of blood clots.

Schedule a Knee Replacement Examination in Decatur, Loganville, or Snellville, Georgia

If you have been suffering from knee pain, severe discomfort, and reduced quality of life, you may be a candidate for knee replacement surgery. When all the other available types of treatment have failed to alleviate the pain or brought you comfort, surgery may be an option. At Atlanta Bone & Joint, we have the knowledge, skills, and experience you are looking for when it comes to knee replacement surgeons. 
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We will examine your knee, review your medical history, and determine if you are a qualified candidate for surgery. And you tell us when you are ready and prepared to undergo surgery. To schedule your knee examination, contact Atlanta Bone & Joint in Decatur, Loganville, or Snellville, Georgia.