People are often confused between the two procedures of knee osteotomy and knee replacement surgery. The general population must understand the difference between the two procedures to have a better understanding regarding their own body and medical procedures in general.
Knee osteotomy is a procedure which in general is more advantageous than the procedure of knee replacement. But before elucidating on the advantages, we need to know more about the details regarding each procedure.
When can a knee osteotomy be performed?
A knee osteotomy can be performed in patients who are younger and show symptoms of early-stage knee arthritis. In this procedure, the knee joints are preserved and the bones are reshaped in such a way that the weight of the body is realigned on the knee joints; which helps in increasing the life of the knee joint.
Although this procedure is usually performed in younger patients, with the improvement in technology and medical backup services- this procedure is being performed by top knee specialists all over the world. The joint replacement doctor is getting more confident about performing this procedure on older patients due to increased success rates of this surgery on these older patients.
The procedure and disadvantages of knee replacement surgery
In general, knee replacement surgery is a very complicated process because the knee replacement requires the artificial reproduction of the very complex structure of the knee joint. Most of the patients who undergo knee replacement surgery have a long recovery period and cannot ever get back to the efficiency level of a normal knee joint. Thus, the effectiveness of the surgery is not very high. Some of the other disadvantages include:
- The artificial knee is made with metals and synthetic materials. If the parts of the synthetic joint are damaged, the patient requires further surgery.
- The replacements have a limited lifespan, and changing it can lead to another hectic surgery.
- If any injury is sustained by the patient in or around the region of the replaced knee joint, there might be vast complications that may lead to dire consequences.
Why knee osteotomy is the best option
Knee osteotomy was widely used by knee specialists and orthopaedic surgeons to treat osteoarthritis in the past, but the procedure gradually lost relevance. However, the procedure is gaining prominence again. The process of knee osteotomy has the following advantages:
- Preservation of the knee joint
- An active lifestyle can be maintained for a greater number of years with ease
- Reduction in the pain that can be caused due to arthritis
- Delaying the need for knee replacement
Due to the following reasons, the debate of knee replacement vs osteotomy is won by the procedure of osteotomy. Osteotomy comes with several advantages. However, it is important to take the opinion of your doctor regarding which procedure is the best for you because the doctor ultimately knows the best.
Among the knee specialists in Mumbai, Dr Niraj Vora has carved a niche for himself due to his dedicated treatment procedures and recommendations. Dr Niraj Vora is the one to go to for all your orthopaedic problems.