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Knee Replacement

A knee replacement is when a knee joint is replaced with an artificial knee known as a arthroplasty. Knee replacements are common in people over the age of 65 and mostly due to severe osteoarthritis.
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Who needs a knee replacement
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People over the age of 65 who have severe osteoarthritis benefit from having a knee replacement as there knee becomes too painful for them to perform everyday activities which requires putting weight though the knee such as walking, climbing stairs. The knee compared to any other joint is most likely to get osteoarthritis due to being a weight bearing joint.
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Types of knee replacement​
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There are 2 types of knee replacement, a total knee replacement and a partial knee replacement.
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Total Knee replacements-are more common and involves replacing the whole joint. Total knee replacements are more common in older people as it solves the need for having to do more surgery later on in developing osteoarthritis.
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Partial knee replacements- usually involves replacing one part of your knee and results in a quicker hospital stay. These are done more in younger people with less extensive damage to their knee.
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Risk factors
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  • Age- the older a person is the more likely they are to have osteoarthritis
  • Obesity- This increases the pressure on joints leading to the development of osteoarthritis
  • Injuries during sports- people who have played sports are likely to have developing osteoarthritis in their older age.
  • Trauma- Traumatic injuries to the knee can increase your risk of developing OA and needing a knee replacement in the future. 
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Treatment
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After a knee replacement people spend between 3-5 days in hospital. The aim is to strength of the knee joint and the function of walking. It can take up to 6 weeks before a person is able to resume normal activities such as driving and 6 months before people can feel the full benefits of a knee replacement.
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Physiofriend can guide individuals with knee replacements to return to manage/reduce pain, gain significant range of motion and improve ability to perform functional task.
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