Treatment alternatives to knee replacement include:

• Nonsurgical treatment for osteoarthritis/arthritis include:
  • Physical therapy
  • Analgesics and anti-inflammatory medications and suitable drugs in cases of infections of the joints
  • Knee bracing or shoe inserts which help in knee alignment and balancing of weight on the knee joints.
  • Visco supplementation injections for lubricating the joint to make the joint movement less painful.
• Surgical alternatives include:
  • Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure where small incisions are done to repair the damage with arthroscopy.
  • Osteotomy is a surgical procedure where the involved leg bone is cut, realigned, and allowed to heal. It is useful for patients older than 60 with inflammatory arthritis.
  • Partial knee replacement involves replacing only the part of the knee joint that is damaged or arthritic.
  • Traditional total knee replacement that involves the conventional knee joint replacement
  • Minimally Invasive knee replacement including both total and partial knee replacement.

A person, whose knee structure is stable with no severe bone loss, is not overweight and if no previous knee replacement has been done, he or she is a suitable candidate for minimally invasive knee replacement surgery. This procedure cannot be performed on the patient who had already underwent the knee replacement surgery before.

Unlike traditional procedure, minimally invasive knee replacement is less invasive and performed using smaller incision of 4-6 inch. The artificial implants used are same as used in traditional replacement.

This technique is less invasive with less damage and disruption of the adjacent tissues that results in reduced post-operative pain, minimal scarring and early and speedy recovery.

Types of approaches used in minimally invasive knee replacement include;

• Quadriceps sparing approach

  It is less invasive technique and also called as subvastus approach. As the name implies, it spares the quadriceps muscle from being cut and thus eliminate the risk of trauma and injury to the thigh muscle. A 3 to 4 inch of small incision is made and the knee joint is entered by cutting the fibrous layer of the tissue, upper in the thigh that is attached to the quadriceps muscle called as retinaculum. The quadriceps muscle is then lifted away from the way instead of cutting it to proceed and insert the replacement implant in place.

  Using special instruments, the bone is prepared for implant. As there is little or no damage to the quadriceps muscle, this approach fastens the rehabilitation process making it easier for the patient to resume walking even earlier with reduced pain and minimal scarring.

• Lateral Approach Knee Replacement

  This procedure involves entering the knee joint from the lateral part. The incision is made on the lateral side of knee joint, and hence the knee cap and corresponding muscles are not manipulated. This approach eliminates the chances of muscle injury and improves the knee cap mechanism. However, this is a rarely used technique.

The results of the surgery are quite gratifying. You can lead a normal healthy life and perform all your daily activities without the pain and discomfort you had before the surgery.

The recovery after minimally invasive knee replacement is relatively faster as compared to traditional knee replacement surgery. A hospital stay of 3-4 days is required and the patient is able to resume his daily activities within ten days. More rigorous activities are resumed after about 4-5 weeks of the surgery.

A stay of 3-4 days at the hospital followed by a week's stay in India is enough for you to recuperate and fly back to your country after minimally invasive knee replacement surgery in India.