Knee Replacement Facts & the Alternative Therapies Available

Knee replacement surgery is only for the severely worn-out knee in patients over the age of 65. Contact us if you have been told to get a knee replacement. This article gives you the facts on knee replacement surgery or TKR. CSC provides the best alternative option to TKR; learn more by contacting us now!

Know About Total Knee Replacement Surgery & When Should You Get It

Total knee replacement is for severely degenerated knee patients who has exhausted conservative therapy options

man stretching a painful knee

Knee replacement or TKR is a procedure for patients with severe degenerative and arthritic changes in the knee joint. Expert opinion on TKR should be avoided and only performed when the knee joints wear out severely, or a bone-on-bone phenomenon occurs at the knee joint. The bone on bone is an occurrence where the padding of the knee joint (meniscus) is completely worn out.

Also, it is recommended not to get the TKR until you are over the age of 60. So many recommend 65 as the age for replacement knee surgery because the replaced knee may not survive more than 15-years. Therefore, it is better to opt for non-surgical methods, especially for younger patients.

If you have a painful knee and are not yet 65 or want an alternative to TKR, contact us. CSC is an award-winning chiropractic & physiotherapy center. Our methods of knee treatment are highly effective. Our director Yama Zafer, D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic), has over 26 years of experience treating patients with severe and debilitating knee pains. His method of chiropractic treatment for the knee has helped many avoid surgery.

The chiropractic treatment you get from us is based on the methods Yama Zafer, D.C., discovered many years ago. Yama Zafer’s chiropractic treatment for the knee is safe and gentle. Patients of all ages tolerate it well. Best of all, when we combine his chiropractic treatment methods with the efforts of our clinical physiotherapists, the benefits are even more significant. Contact us today to learn more about our alternative to TKR.

Learn the best alternative for knee replacement (total knee replacement) or TKR. Leading knee surgeons recommend knee replacement when you have exhausted your on-surgical options. Knee replacement is suitable when non-surgical treatments of a severely degenerated and arthritic knee fail. A severely deteriorated knee is a condition where the bones in your knee joints rub against each other. In other words, you have a bone-on-bone issue. And even then, conservative care can help.

Knee Replacement Surgery

Knee replacement surgeries are provided to patients when severe arthritis and degenerative knee joint changes are not responding to a well-planned non-surgical treatment program. In knee replacement surgical procedure, the knee is either partially or fully reconstructed. It involves the capping of all or parts of the knee joint with plastic or metal implants. There are two types of knee replacement surgeries:

  1. Partial Knee Replacement Surgery
  2. Total Knee Replacement surgery or TKR

Partial Arthroplasty of the Knee

Total knee replacement surgery is for patients that have severely damaged all parts of the knee. However, when damage is only on one side, partial knee surgery is recommended. Because the reconstruction and reshaping of bones in partial knee surgical procedures are not as intensive as the TKR, recovery time is shorter. The downside is that it is not as lasting! As such, the majority of patients with partial knee reconstruction will undergo a full replacement later.

TKR Knee Replacement Surgery: What Is It & When Should You Get it?

Knee replacement surgery, TKR, or knee arthroplasty is an open knee surgery replacing the knee’s articular surface. Total knee replacement surgery, known as TKR, is an option for a patient with severe knee osteoarthritis. Surgery is an option for a severe knee injury that doesn’t respond to non-surgical treatments. Do not do the TKR unless the articular surface is worn out entirely (100%). Researchers throughout the world agree that TKR should be the last option. In other words, you must exhaust all your conservative approaches before opting for a TKR.

Knee replacement or TKR shown

The Journal of Arthritis and Rheumatism published a study that reported a third of the total knee replacement (TKR) was inappropriate. The number one reason for the “inappropriate” designation was that most patients who obtained a TKR did on a knee with mild or moderate osteoarthritis. The researchers related that knee replacement surgery should only be considered for patients with severe osteoarthritis.

step-by-step illustration of knee replacement surgery TKR

How Long Should You Wait Before Getting A Knee Replacement Surgery?

The decision to perform a total knee replacement surgery is not clear-cut, according to Dr. Jeffrey Katz. Dr. Katz is a professor of medicine and orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston. A clinician must look at several parameters before opting for a total knee replacement surgery. The two most critical, according to him, are:

1). The patient must be in good preoperative health and function.

2). Delay replacement surgery as the implant will eventually wear out.

He related that although advancements have improved a replaced knee’s outcomes, surgery should be the last option. Dr. Katz related that the eventual wearing out of the implant is a concern. And as such, the earlier one has a knee replaced, the greater the risk of implant failures in a recipient’s lifetime.

Knee Replacement Or Conservative Non-Surgical Treatment?

According to the lead researcher of a study published in the November 2014 issue of The Bone and Joint Journal (Dr. Allen Riis), “a knee replacement surgery patient must have a gain or benefit from the expected replacement. The title of this study published on November 4, 2014, in The Bone and Joint Journal was “Low grading of the severity of knee osteoarthritis pre-operatively is associated with a lower functional level after total knee replacement.”

Dr. Allen Riis’s research was a prospective cohort study with 12 months follow-up. He related that patients might be better off seeking non-surgical treatments that improve knee pain and function. On the other hand, Dr. Katz describes that knee pain patients with severe arthritis must weigh their options, as knee replacement surgery is better done when one is in a good health state.

The point of both these highly acclaimed surgeons is to opt for non-surgical methods first. In their opinion, you should seek targeted non-surgical treatments. And if the non-surgical means fail, you opt for the surgery.

What Are The Essential Components To Recovering From Knee Pain Without Surgery?

The key to recovery is targeted care based on an accurate diagnosis. Focused therapies of all root causes are essential, and as such, you need the top non-surgical expert to assess your knee thoroughly. An accurate diagnosis is the vital first step to recovery. For best results, finalize your diagnosis from a non-surgical expert. Surgeons rarely look into biomechanics or co-conditions. A non-surgical expert who specializes in biomechanics is better at diagnosing the root causes of knee pain.

Chiropractic Specialty Center® has the best biomechanics experts in Malaysia. Our clinical teams of corrective chiropractors and clinical physiotherapists are teams you need for accurate diagnosis and treatments that zeros in on the actual cause of your knee pain. As such, we get better results compared to competing centers.

The key to recovery is timely care. Time is the most critical. The longer you wait, the greater the chances of progression. So., avoid treatment from the unlearned or poorly skilled therapies. Avoid treatment from the unlearned or poorly skilled therapies. Don’t wait too long.

What Is The Best Age For The Knee Reconstruction Surgery (TKR)?

There is no perfect age for knee replacement. But, it is better if you have it done after the age of 60. However, there are situations where a need for replacement may arise sooner than later. Waiting too long may not be a good option if you are in your 60s or older. So, seek out clinical non-surgical treatment by combining chiropractic with physiotherapy to target the knees holistically. Targeted knee treatment methods through chiropractic, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and customized knee exercises can help the vast majority of patients contemplate a surgical procedure to replace the knees.

Who Are The Best candidates For Replacement Surgery Of The Knees?

This is a tough question, but one needs an answer. The answer is in a research article in the Arthritis and Rheumatism Journal in 2013. According to this published research, here are the best factors that bring about better outcomes in those that opt for total knee surgery or total knee replacement (TKR):

  • Patients who suffer from severe to excruciating levels of pre-surgical pain.
  • Knee Pain sufferers with ONLY one knee involvement.
  • Patients with good overall health (meaning they don’t have other health conditions).
  • Those with severe Osteoarthritis and no inflammatory disorders such as rheumatism

Can Knee Degeneration Lead To Knee Surgery?

Degenerative changes in knees are the result of normal wear and tear with advancing age. For most, it is the product of excessive body weight, repeated injuries, and neglect. The human knee is an active joint encapsulated with ligaments for support and function. The meniscus, ligaments, tendons, and muscles that control the knee’s function may get damaged with an injury.

Knee degeneration can progress rapidly to no return with the continued neglect of mild or moderate knee pain and injury. In other words, a slight injury in time can become severe enough that it may warrant a knee replacement. However, knee degeneration is not enough of a criterion for a total knee replacement. Most degenerative knee conditions do respond favorably to customized conservative treatments.

According to published research, a patient shall meet several criteria before knee replacement surgery. A patient must have severe knee degeneration, severe osteoarthritis, severe pain, and severe limitation in mobility and function before getting a knee replacement. Also, pain should be in an overall good state of health. If one or more of these criteria is missing, you may be better with conservative treatment to aid complications after surgery.

Conservative Treatment Versus Knee Replacement Surgery

A randomized controlled trial was conducted among 100 moderate-severe knee osteoarthritis patients over 12 months. The researchers divided the group into two; patients who underwent knee replacement surgery with 12 weeks of rehabilitation and another group treated conservatively with chiropractic, CSC physiotherapy, nutritionists, and dietetic care. The study found that the patients who underwent surgery felt a great reduction in their pain. However, the TKR (knee replacement surgery) patients went through more adverse effects in the long run than the group who chose the conservative method.

People must understand that replacement knee surgeries are not a “go-to” option but rather an “I have no other choice” option. It lasts for 10-20 years, so; wait until you are 65 or older. Undergoing a knee replacement at a young age can be very disabling towards your daily living activities and can eventually be crippling. Opt for it if and only if you have to get it, and even then, get multiple medical opinions. Our centers offer the best knee pain treatment; visit us today and compare non-operative options to knee replacement surgery before you opt for knee replacement surgery.

If suffering from chronic or acute knee pain, we can help. We have helped thousands recover without surgery. We have even helped many after a TKR who lived with pain. Contact us today for TKR or knee replacement facts & the alternative therapies available at CSC.

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