Healthy Knee:
In a healthy knee, the bones are smooth and glide together easily in the knee joint, allowing you to walk without pain. The cartilage between the knee joint serves as a cushion, permitting the bones to rotate, glide and roll upon each other while you walk.
Problem Knee:
Conditions such as osteoarthritis, avascular necrosis, injury, or rheumatoid arthritis can cause severe pain and decreased movement as the cushion of cartilage wears away. Joint surfaces can rub against each other, becoming rough, pitted, irritated, and narrowed.
This can cause pain and difficulty walking. The knee cap may move, causing the knee to feel unstable.
Replacing Worn Joints:
A joint replacement, also called arthroplasty, involves replacing a painful joint with a new mechanical joint, called a prosthesis. The knee prosthesis consists of a smooth surfaces, much like a healthy knee.
The femoral component caps the end of the thigh bone. The tibial component covers the underside of the knee joint surfaces. The plastic spacer replaces the damaged cartilage. This allows you to move and walk more easily and with less pain.
