What are the Different Types of Knee Implants Used for Knee Replacement Surgery?

Knee replacement surgery is a medical procedure that aims at the replacement of the damaged part of the knee joint with an artificially created graft made of metal, plastic or ceramics. Knee replacement surgery is used to help patients suffering from chronic arthritis or osteoarthritis that slowly degenerates the tissues leading to immense pain and discomfort. The problem is very common in old age and can drastically impact your ability to move. Apart from this, your joints may also get damaged due to an injury sustained in an accident and this calls for an emergency transplant. Eternal Heart Care Centre is one of the leading multispeciality hospitals in India that has a specialised branch of orthopaedics. The hospital is listed amongst the top knee replacement surgery hospitals in the country and has been responsible for many successful knee replacement procedures.

Knee replacement surgery has certain risks associated with it, which can be highly minimised by the use of the right kind of implant and this is the reason why knee replacement specialists in India resort to the use of implants of very high quality that ensure higher sustainability and do not wear out easily. Implants come in different shapes and sizes depending upon the requirement of different patients. A lot of factors are to be kept in mind while deciding the type of implant that would best suit the patient, these include the patient's knee anatomy, age, weight and activity level.

Normally knee implants consist of three different types of components designed according to the three main parts of the knee i.e the femur, the tibia and the patella. The metal femoral component is used to cover the femur and is fixed in such a way that it allows the knee cap to move freely while bending, moving, sitting or standing. The tibial metallic component is flat and has a strong cushion like structure made up of plastic. The metallic portion is not mandatory and whether or not to use it depends upon the need of the hour. As far as the patellar component is concerned, it is shaped somewhat like a dome and is usually made up of plastic. The use of metal in the components helps to give more flexibility and that too in a smoother way.

Joints can be of various different types depending upon their shape and movement. The knee joint is a hinge joint owing to the fact that it can bend and straighten very easily. Each and every part of the human body has a very complex mechanism and structure and this also holds true for the knee and the various bones and joints associated with it. Hence, it requires very high specialization to design the various implants. The implants used earlier were not that advanced and somewhat limited the movement of the knee but owing to the latest technological advancements it is become possible to design better implants that guarantee full mobility and resemble the original joint in every possible way. At present, there are more than 150 different designs of knee implants available in the market.

Gender-Specific Implants - The idea of gender-specific implants is also gaining immense popularity nowadays owing to the fact that the structure of knee joints in males and females is slightly different and specialised implants for both the genders suit the specific needs of both men and women. These implants are easily available in the market. It should, however, be noted that gender-specific implants do not guarantee long-lasting results as compared to normal implants.

Posterior-Stabilized Designs - It is the most popular type of implant which is majorly used in total knee replacement. The implant is used to completely replace the damaged posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). The tibial component is designed in such a way that a part of it fits into the cam in the femoral component. Both of these work in coordination to perform the same function as a normal posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and regulate the normal bending of the knee.

Cruciate-Retaining Designs - The implant is used to replace the damaged anterior cruciate ligament whereas the posterior cruciate ligament is kept intact. They are different from Posterior-Stabilized Designs as they are not based on the post and cam design. The design is best suited for patients whose posterior cruciate ligament is only slightly damaged or not damaged or completely intact.

Bicruciate-Retaining Designs - Unlike other implants in which either the posterior cruciate ligament or the anterior cruciate ligament or both are removed for the placement of the new implant, these can be placed by keeping the ligaments intact thereby giving a more natural feel. These are the outcome of the latest technological advancements in the field of orthopaedics and are highly recommended by doctors.

Uni compartmental Implants - Knee replacements can be of two types. Partial and total depending upon whether only a part of the knee joint is to be replaced or the whole of it. In most of the cases, partial knee transplants can help to give satisfactory results and is commonly known as uni compartmental knee implants i.e implants used to replace only a small portion of the joint.