Video of Knee Replacement – Amazing Surgery Footage

Ever wondered what knee replacement surgery actually looks like on video? We have you covered with some of the best views of the operating table.

Knee Replacement Video Footage

If you are considering knee replacement surgery for your osteoarthritis (OA), you are probably wondering what exactly happens once you get on the operating table. We scoured youtube for the best videos of knee replacement surgery to give you the birds-eye view of the operating table.

WARNING – The following videos contain graphic content of real surgeries, viewer discretion is advised.

As you will see from the knee replacement videos, the procedure is fairly invasive. Over the course of two hours, an orthopedic surgeon will saw away bone and attach the prosthetic knee joint to your patella, femur, and tibia.

Click on the menu at the top left of the video below to see the whole playlist.

Knee Replacement Surgery Steps

1. Initial Incision: A scalpel will be used to make an incision down the center of your knee cap to allow access to the entire joint.
2. Relocation of the Knee Cap: In order to access the end of your thigh bone and shin bone, the knee back will be moved gently to the side of the joint.
3. Preparation of the Femur: Bone is sawed away to create a smooth surface for the to-be-attached femoral implant.
4. Femoral Implant: The formal implant is cemented to the freshly exposed bone.
5. Preparation of the Tibia: Bone is sawed away from the tibia to create a surface for tibial implant.
6. Tibial Implant: Tibial Implant is cemented to the newly exposed smooth bone.
7. Preparation of the Patella: Underside of the patella is ground down and flattened.
8. Readjusting the Patella: Plastic prosthetic is cemented on the newly exposed bone.
9. Procedure Conclusion: Before closing up the joint, the surgeons move the knee around passively to ensure the prosthetic implant is functioning correctly.

Alternatives to Knee Surgery

The decision to undergo knee replacement surgery should not be taken lightly. However, depending on your situation it may be the only viable option. That being said one study estimated that over ⅓ of the knee surgeries were inappropriate¹. Patients either did not have severe enough symptoms to warrant surgery, were too young, or didn’t have severe enough damage to their knee joint.

Knee surgery is meant to be a last resort. It is recommended that you exhaust all of your conservative treatment options. For a full view of non-surgical treatment of severe knee OA take a look at this guide.

One of the primary reasons why knee replacement surgery gets recommended to a patient is because they have bone on bone knee pain. In this situation, the friction of the bony surfaces rubbing together within the knee joint causes inflammation, bone spurs, stiffness, and pain. Knee replacement surgery helps by cutting away the damaged bone and replacing it with an artificial metal surface. This is a proven long term solution for increasing joint function and reducing knee pain, but are their less invasive options that can accomplish similar increases in function and relief from pain?

Tri-compartment offloading is an exciting new treatment for severe knee osteoarthritis. Here rather than replacing the damaged areas, they are offloaded. A new type of knee brace/exoskeleton hybrid uses spring technology to provide additional support to the joint, reducing pressure by over 40%². To learn more about this innovation, click the button below.

Other Resources

Total Knee Replacement – American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)

References

1. Riddle, D. L., Jiranek, W. A., & Hayes, C. W. (2014). Use of a validated algorithm to judge the appropriateness of total knee arthroplasty in the United States: a multicenter longitudinal cohort study. Arthritis & rheumatology, 66(8), 2134-2143.
2. McGibbon, C. & Mohamed, A. Knee Load Reduction From an Energy Storing Mechanical Brace. Canadian Society for Biomechanics (2018)

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