What is a knee replacement?

A knee replacement is a resurfacing type of operation. A skin incision is made in the front of your knee. The kneecap and muscles are slid out of the way to access the joint surfaces.

The worn-out bone is removed and metal components are then placed on the end of the femur (thigh bone) and top of the tibia (shin bone) with a plastic cushion in between.

The back of the kneecap is sometimes also replaced with plastic if there is evidence of worn-out cartilage.

The new joint fits in amongst your own ligaments that run along the sides of your knee and utilises these ligaments for stability and to function properly.

Computer navigation or robotic assistance is used to align the components accurately based on your unique anatomy. Dr Cohen aims to align the components to recreate the shape of your own knee before it wore out with arthritis. This hopefully allows your knee to be well balanced, minimising the need for ligament release, helping your new knee to work better.

The wound is closed with dissolving stitches and dressings are applied.