Knee Replacement

Knee Replacement with Dr. Maher

A knee replacement is performed when the cartilage in part or all of your knee has been completely worn away and there is bone on bone arthritis.  This can be due to a number of causes including prior injury, inflammatory conditions, patient weight, and genetic factors.  Most patients need a full knee replacement (TKA), but in patients with only limited areas of a damage a partial knee replacement (UKA) is an excellent treatment option.  In both cases, the damaged bone is removed, and a metal cap is placed on both the femur and tibia, and a piece of surgical grade plastic is inserted.  Dr. Maher performs knee replacements with the assistance of the MAKO robotic system, which allows for more accurate implant sizing and positioning during surgery.

Symptoms

The primary symptom of knee arthritis is pain in the knee. The pain is usually worse with activity and walking, and may cause you to limp at times.  In severe cases, knee arthritis can limit the range of motion of the knee and keep you from fully straightening or bending the joint.  As the cartilage in your knee is worn out, you can also develop a “bow-legged” or “knock-knee” deformity which is usually corrected as part of the knee replacement operation.
 

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of knee arthritis is based on your medical history, physical examination findings, and x-rays completed in our office.  Occasionally, an MRI or CT scan are needed in order to see your knee in greater detail to make the diagnosis.
 

Surgery

The surgery typically takes about 90-120 minutes depending on the complexity of the case.  In most cases, patients receive spinal anesthesia with sedation during the procedure.  As part of the procedure, we also perform an injection of the area around the knee joint with a mixture of medications to help control postoperative pain and inflammation. 
 

Recovery

Most knee replacement patients are able to go home the same day or next morning after surgery.   You will have a waterproof dressing over your knee and are permitted to shower. Unless told otherwise by Dr. Maher, patients typically do not have any restrictions after surgery.  You will need to follow up 2-3 weeks after your surgery in order to check your surgical wound and functional status.  Dr. Maher performs a plastic surgery type closure with all buried sutures, so there are no staples or stitches that need to be taken out in the office.

Make an Appointment

If you are interested in learning more about knee replacement surgery, please contact our New York City office today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Nolan Maher to discuss treatment options for your knee pain.
More About KNEE Replacement

KNEE REPLACEMENT F.A.Q.

If knee replacement surgery was renamed today it would be called knee resurfacing. During surgery we remove the worn out ends of the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone
(tibia) and cap each with a metal implant. We then place a surgical-grade plastic insert between the metal parts. Instead of bone rubbing on bone, your new knee is metal articulating with plastic.

Yes, all patients experience a patch of numbness around the outside area of the knee due to standard placement of the incision. This area usually shrinks down to 1-2 inches by about 6 months after surgery but may never go away completely.

By 4 weeks after surgery you should be able to bend your knee at least 90 degrees. Our goal is for patients to reach 110-120 degrees of knee flexion when fully recovered. If
your knee was very stiff before surgery, the motion may not be significantly improved with surgery but the pain should be improved.

Your knee should feel fairly natural. It will always feel a little different compared to a non-replaced knee. You may also have some clicking in your knee due to the articulation between the metal and plastic implants; this is normal.