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There are
several causes for knee replacement surgery. Osteoarthritis is the most common
cause for a knee replacement. In this case, the knee joint simply wears out --
the cartilage on the ends of the bones wears away and allows the bones to rub
against each other causing pain. Previous fractures or mechanical abnormalities
can also call for a knee replacement even if it may be years since the initial
problem.
When it has been decided that a knee replacement is necessary, a
knee prosthesis is put inside the leg in the place of the knee joint. This is
done through an incision in the front of the knee to reach the joint. After
reaching the knee joint, a prosthesis made of three parts -- the tibial
component (bottom knee portion), the femoral component (top knee portion) and
the patellar component (the kneecap).
In this procedure, the parts of the
knee joint are completely removed from the leg. Put in its place are the three
components of the knee prosthesis that can be put into place with a special type
of epoxy, or can be inserted into the
bone.
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