Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty: General trends of clinical practice

Unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) has many advantages over total knee replacement (TKR) in carefully selected patients with isolated single compartment advanced osteoarthritis. UKR is minimally invasive and more joint preserving as it retains both cruciate ligaments as well as the unaffected compartments of the knee. This is particularly advantageous in younger patients with higher functional demands. UKR is just as beneficial in elderly patients who are increasingly presenting with a multitude of medical co-morbidities, as it has a significantly lower volume of blood loss, the surgery overall is less of a physiological insult to the patient systemically, has less post-operative pain and quicker rehabilitation following the procedure.
Source: The Knee - Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research