Artificial knee joint replacement


If the pain and the impairment of your mobility cannot be treated successfully in a conservative way, i.e. by means of medication or physical therapy, your doctor will recommend artificial knee joint replacement. The artificial joint replaces the degenerated parts of the joint. In most cases, the artificial joint, which is called a bi-condylar surface replacement prosthesis, replaces all of the joint surfaces.

Several factors are critical for the knee joint replacement to be a success: the extent to which the kinematics are natural, the stability of the anchoring components and the level of wear and tear associated with the design of the implant.

In case of a total endoprosthesis (TEP), both joint surfaces, as well as the adjacent bony structures on the femur and tibia, are replaced. A polyethylene inlay mounted on the tibial plate serves as the rolling and sliding surface.

A TEP should measure up to the demands set by nature, namely durability, stability and range of motion. As a matter of principle, it must remove all symptoms of pain and improve the quality of life significantly.