Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 27 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Before Admission You’ll usually be given specific instructions in advance about fasting (not eating or drinking for a set period beforehand), which medications to take or pause on the day, and what to…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 26 of 42 · Hip & Knee Key Points Robotic and computer-assisted systems help surgeons plan and execute implant positioning with greater precision, but the surgeon performs and controls the operation throughout. Evidence shows these systems reliably improve the accuracy of implant…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 25 of 42 · Knee Key Points During knee replacement, the surgeon can choose to resurface (replace) the back of the kneecap with a plastic component, or leave the kneecap’s own bone surface as it is. This is one of the most…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 24 of 42 · Knee Key Points Knee replacement implants come in different designs depending on whether one of your original knee ligaments (the posterior cruciate ligament) is kept or replaced. Cruciate-retaining (CR) and posterior-stabilised (PS) are the two most common construct…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 23 of 42 · Knee Key Points The medial parapatellar approach is the standard, most widely used way of opening the knee for replacement surgery. Muscle-sparing alternatives exist and may offer a small early recovery advantage in select patients, at the cost…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 22 of 42 · Hip Key Points The “bearing” is the pair of surfaces that move against each other inside your new hip, and several material combinations are used. Modern highly cross-linked polyethylene, combined with either a ceramic or metal head, is…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 21 of 42 · Hip Key Points There are three main ways a hip replacement can be anchored to your bone: cemented, uncemented, and hybrid. The right choice depends on your bone quality, age, and activity level, alongside surgeon judgement and experience….
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 20 of 42 · Hip Key Points Posterior Approach The posterior approach, accessing the hip from behind, is the most widely used approach worldwide and offers excellent visualisation of the joint, making it versatile across a wide range of patient anatomies. It…
Part of The Joint Replacement Guide — Phase 4: The Operation · Article 19 of 42 · Hip Key Points Modern hip replacement traces back to the pioneering work of Sir John Charnley at Wrightington Hospital in the 1960s. Charnley’s “low-friction arthroplasty” combined a smaller femoral head, bone cement fixation, and a durable plastic bearing…