Unicondylar knee arthoplasty a strong alternative to total knee replacement

By Nick Rees

There were 454,652 total knee replacements performed in the United States, primarily because of arthritis, the Centers for Disease Control reports.

Six million adults diagnosed with arthritis reported significant limitations in walking a quarter mile, while 7.8 million said they had limitations in stooping, bending and kneeling. Climbing stairs was limited for 4.8 million and 2.1 million complained of limitations in their social activities, including family gatherings.

"Typically, more patients will have arthritis on the inside, or medial side, of the knee joint," Dr. Mark Gross, a top rated orthopedic surgeon in Chicago, says. "With unicondylar knee arthoplasty, what we can do is replace the half of the joint - either the inside or the outside - that is affected. It's an extremely minimally invasive procedure. We make a 2.5-inch cut and resurface the half of the joint, which dramatically and quickly reduces pain."

During the procedure, a patient's knee cap is moved out slightly to allow the doctor to see inside of the joint, which is the resurfaced with minimal bone removal.

"We remove millimeters of bone," Dr. Gross says. "It's not much."

Small implants that cover the inner side of the femur and the inner side of the tibia are then placed inside of the tibia.

"I use the Oxford Partial Knee System, which has a miniscal-bearing implant," Dr. Gross says. "The plastic in that implant moves relative to the femur and tibia, decreasing wear and increasing motion. Because of this decrease in wear, the implant can last much longer.

"Patients are out of the hospital in only two days as opposed to a four day stay for total knee replacement. Typically, the patient is walking later the same day as the procedure."

To ensure the best results, Dr. Gross utilizes a continuous passive motion machine after the procedure, which moves the knee up and down and decreases pain, swelling and scarring while improving the recovery process.

"Additionally, we modify or optimize the technique based on each individual's specific requirement, be it body type, shape of the knee or orientation of the knee. We take the time and effort to make sure that the procedure is done optimally for the patient."

In addition to the quicker healing time, Dr. Gross says that unicondylar knee arthoplasty offers better results than a total knee replacement.

"With a total knee replacement, you'll often lose some of your range of motion, but with unicondylar knee arthroplasty, you'll get all of your motion back," Dr. Gross says.

Dr. Mark Gross was selected in 2010 by TopTierMD as a Chicago Top Doctor - He was named a Best Chicago Orthopedic Surgery specializing in Minimally Invasive Hip and Knee Joint Replacement, Minimally Invasive Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty, and Patellofemoral Knee Arthroplasty.  He practices in Barrington Office, IL.