Essay Paper on Total Knee Replacement Surgery
People undergo total knee replacement when arthritis or injury erodes the joint's natural cushioning to the point where it's hard to walk even short distances without severe pain.
Knee replacements now cost the NHS more each year than total hip replacements. An ageing population and an increase in obesity-related conditions are placing an increasing strain on NHS resources, with the number of knee replacements performed rising by 15 per cent last year from 59,391 to 68,300. Doctors predict that by 2010, suchoperations could cost the NHS almost pounds 1 billion per year.
The average age for a total knee replacement is 70. Osteoarthritis, one of the four most common problems linked to obesity, is the major cause of surgery. Overweight and obese people are 24 per cent more likely to require knee surgery. About 68,300 knee replacements were performed in the UK in 2002, costing the NHS in the region of pounds 375 million (Blakemore, 2003).
There are more replacement operations performed on the knee than any other joint in the body: more than 600 000 total knee replacements are performed each year globally. The annual total global knee market is estimated to be worth $2 billion (Advanced Ceramics Report).
Total knee replacement, which is defined as the surgical insertion of a hinged artificial joint, relieves pain and restores motion to a knee which is affected by arthritis or injury. In a standard total knee replacement, the damaged areas of the thighbone, shinbone and kneecap are removed and replaced with prostheses.
The diseased bone surfaces are removed and a two-piece metallic hinge is cemented into the cavities of the upper and lower leg bones (femur and tibia). After surgery, the knee is held in position, usually with a plaster cast. The ends of the remaining bones are smoothed and reshaped to accommodate the prostheses. Pieces of the artificial knee are typically held in place with bone cement
Knee replacements now cost the NHS more each year than total hip replacements. An ageing population and an increase in obesity-related conditions are placing an increasing strain on NHS resources, with the number of knee replacements performed rising by 15 per cent last year from 59,391 to 68,300. Doctors predict that by 2010, suchoperations could cost the NHS almost pounds 1 billion per year.
The average age for a total knee replacement is 70. Osteoarthritis, one of the four most common problems linked to obesity, is the major cause of surgery. Overweight and obese people are 24 per cent more likely to require knee surgery. About 68,300 knee replacements were performed in the UK in 2002, costing the NHS in the region of pounds 375 million (Blakemore, 2003).
There are more replacement operations performed on the knee than any other joint in the body: more than 600 000 total knee replacements are performed each year globally. The annual total global knee market is estimated to be worth $2 billion (Advanced Ceramics Report).
Total knee replacement, which is defined as the surgical insertion of a hinged artificial joint, relieves pain and restores motion to a knee which is affected by arthritis or injury. In a standard total knee replacement, the damaged areas of the thighbone, shinbone and kneecap are removed and replaced with prostheses.
The diseased bone surfaces are removed and a two-piece metallic hinge is cemented into the cavities of the upper and lower leg bones (femur and tibia). After surgery, the knee is held in position, usually with a plaster cast. The ends of the remaining bones are smoothed and reshaped to accommodate the prostheses. Pieces of the artificial knee are typically held in place with bone cement