If your knee replacement is wearing out, you need not fear. Knee replacement is one of the typical replacement operations around the world. It is essential to be aware of your knee replacement wearing out as it can affect your quality of life since it can be painful. While it is an advanced surgery, the knee replacement can wear out easily since it’s made of ceramic, metal, or medical-grade plastic. Wear and tear is normal. Hence, your loved ones need to be in a conducive environment where they are well taken care of even though their knee replacement is wearing out. At Caruth Haven Court, we provide a range of activities and amenities for your loved ones, if they have undergone knee replacement.
What Is Knee Replacement?
Knee replacement is a kind of operation that replaces your damaged or diseased knee joint with an artificial prosthetic implant. For people who may be unable to move their knees or are experiencing severe pain from their knees, knee replacement is a good suggestion. This is especially so if non-invasive operations, like physical therapy, cannot improve the condition.
Symptoms of Knee Replacement Wearing Out
Knee replacements are not perfect, and they do not last forever. It’s important to know that they are a long-term solution, but they will experience wear and tear. Here are some symptoms that your knee replacement is wearing out:
- Thickening of joint tissue
- Fluid around the knee
- Knee joint swelling
- Bone damage
- Joint instability
- Difficulty of movement
- Infection symptoms, such as fever and so on
Factors Affecting Knee Replacement Wearing Out
Here are some factors that cause the knee replacement to wear out:
- Age: As the patient grows older, the knee replacement will wear out. This is especially true for patients who are younger as the implant usually has to last a longer time, and also because they are more active.
- Activity intensity: If people have an existing knee implant, they should not be exercising too vigorously.
- Weight: Take note of the patient’s weight as the heavier the patient, the more weight it’s putting on the knee implant.
The Solution to Knee Replacement Wearing Out
It is important to know when your knee replacement is wearing out, otherwise, it can be painful. In such cases, another knee replacement revision is needed to replace the existing knee replacement. However, knee replacement revision usually requires a longer time compared to the initial joint replacement procedure. This is because the initial implant has to be taken out first. During that time, there will be substantial bone loss. The doctor will then have to replenish the empty area with bone grafts. These bone grafts can be taken from a variety of places, such as a body part or an allograft. An allograft is a bone tissue taken from another person. During this time, there may be other parts that are necessary to reinforce the bone. Some parts include wires, metal wedges, screws, and so on. In the end, the doctor will put in a specialized revision knee implant to take over the initial replacement implant.
