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Clinic
27, 1st avenue, Besant nagar
Chennai 600090, India
Mobile: 00 91 92821 65002
Tel: 00 91 44 24912905,
 
Hospital
Chettinad Health City Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Kelambakkam, Kanchipuram Dist,
Tamil Nadu 603 103, India
T.+91(0)44 27475225,27475959
F. +91 (0)44 2747 5970
 
Email:drvenkat@kneeindia.com
 
 
 
   
 
 
Unicondylar knee replacement
Criteria for unicondylar knee
Unicondylar knee replacement is a useful procedure for unicompartmental osteoarthritis. It provides lasting pain relief in the middle aged patient who has to wait for a total knee replacment. The quality of pain relief is better than that from a high tibial osteotomy. Usually a medial unicondylar replacement is performed for medial compartment osteoarthritis. Cases have to be carefully selected. Rheumatoid arthritis & Inflammatory arthritis are not suitable. The recovery is quicker than a total knee replacement. Again like for TKR, THR theatre standard should match to the British Orthopedic association’s committee’s recommendations. (Laminar airflow, HEPA filters, Charnley Howarth enclosure. There should be no flexion deformity, valgus/ varus should be less than 10 degrees, good range of flexion should be available. Rheumatoid arthritis is a contra indication.
Unicondylar replacment or total knee replacment?
Actually there is no overlap as these are indicated for two different subsets of patients. The unicondylar knee replacment is ideal for the younger patient in the 40's or 50's with unicompartmental arthritis and this could be the first knee replacment for this patient. It could also be the last knee replacment for the very elderly patient after 80. patients in the 60's or 70's with tricompartmental arthritis are better off with a total knee replacement.
Osteotomy or Unicondylar knee replacement
Again there is no overlap between these extremely good operations. The active robust man who is working is better with an osteotomy whereas the sedentary lady is better off with an unicondylar knee replacement
What is the ideal weight for a unicondylar knee
The patient should be lesser than 100 kilos.
Many elderly patients with partial knee arthritis will benefit from this procedure
The blood loss is minimal, recovery is faster, and the patient feels more satisfied as the new artificial knee behaves much more like a normal knee. Hospital stay is reduced to 24 to 48 hrs
Implants
I use the Allegra unicondylar knee( Zimmer) & Oxford replacement Knee joint.