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Knee joint replacement - series - Indications
Indications:
The most common cause of knee damage requiring knee replacement is osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative disease of the bones of the knee which cause the surfaces of the knee joint to become irregular and rough, preventing smooth painless motion of the knee joint.
Knee joint replacement may be recommended for:
- Knee osteoarthritis or arthritis, which causes knee pain that has failed to respond to conservative therapy (NSAID medication for 6 months or more)
- Decreased knee function caused by arthritis
- Inability to work because of knee pain
- Inability to sleep through the night because of knee pain
- Inability to walk more than 3 blocks because of knee pain
- Loosening of a previous knee replacement
- Some knee fractures
- Reviewed last on: 1/10/2009
- Ariel D. Teitel, MD, MBA, Chief, Division of Rheumatology, St. Vincent's Hospital, New York, NY. Review provided by Verimed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all
medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not
constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-
A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is
strictly prohibited.
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