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Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty - Recovery

Alternative Names

Partial knee replacement; Knee replacement - partial; Unicondylar knee replacement; Arthroplasty - unicompartmental knee; UKA

After the Procedure:

Most patients have a rapid recovery and have considerably less pain than they did before surgery.

Outlook (Prognosis):

Most patients go home the day after surgery (unlike the 3 or 4 days required by a total knee replacement). You can put your full weight on your knee immediately. There is usually less rehabilitation or physical therapy required compared to total knee replacement.

Most forms of exercise are acceptable after surgery, including walking, swimming, and biking. However, you should avoid high-impact activities such as jogging.

Knee joint

The structure of a joint

Partial knee replacement - series

Reviewed last on: 5/5/2008
Andrew L. Chen, MD, MS, Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, The Alpine Clinic, Littleton, NH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Berger RA, Meneghini RM, Jacobs JJ, et al. Results of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty at a minimum of ten years of follow-up. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2005;87(5):999-1006.

Patil S, Colwell CW Jr, Ezzet KA, et al. Can normal knee kinematics be restored with unicompartmental knee replacement? J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2005;87(2):332-338.

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