When Do You Need a Total Knee Replacement? Here Are 4 Signs

While most people have trouble with their knees at some point in their life, it’s oftentimes not serious enough to require surgery. However, for those suffering from painful conditions such as osteoarthritis that want relief from the debilitating symptoms, a partial or total knee replacement may be necessary for a better quality of life. So, how do you know if you knee-d a total knee replacement?

Here Are 4 Signs You May Need a Total Knee Replacement

1. You’ve had persistent knee pain for three to six months or longer that doesn’t improve from non-surgical therapies.

When you’ve tried everything from the at-home RICE method to in-office interventional pain management treatments such as physical therapy and corticosteroid injections, surgery may be your only option for lasting relief.

2. You’ve made lifestyle changes because your chronic knee pain interferes with normal activities that bring you joy.

Perhaps you’ve quit taking your daily walks that you used to enjoy so much or skipped out on hitting the golf course with friends. Maybe you skip leg day at the gym because the thought of putting any pressure on your knee(s) is terrifying. Whatever the case, if your enjoyment of life has suffered, especially if it interferes with healthy activities, it may be time for a knee replacement.

3. Your knee joint(s) has worn down, making it difficult to perform activities of daily living.

Degenerative joint disease, or osteoarthritis, may wear and tear your knee joint(s), causing bone to rub on bone. This will only worsen over time and needs to be treated through joint replacement(s) once you start to have trouble climbing stairs, moving to and from seated and standing positions, or walking in general.

4. Your pain has intensified or become more frequent and / or is accompanied by additional symptoms.

This is often the case with many conditions that cause chronic knee pain, especially with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Pain is your body’s way of letting you know something is wrong. If you’re being treated for knee pain and it worsens in intensity and/or frequency, an orthopedic specialist can determine whether other non-surgical options that haven’t yet been tried may help or you need a knee replacement. Additional symptoms, such as clicking/cracking sounds when you move your knee(s), limited range of motion, and/or swelling with persistent pain also indicate it may be time to get comfy on the operating table.

5. You Experience Any or All of the Above and Are Over the Age of 50

True, joint replacement used to be reserved for those over 60 because artificial knees did not last long. But now, with state-of-the-art joint replacement technology such as the Mako robotic system, nearly anyone in their golden years can have long-lasting relief.

Total Knee Replacement With the Mako SmartRobotics System Eliminates Chronic Joint Pain, and Limited Mobility, Allowing You to Reclaim Your Quality of Life

Learn to walk again free from persistent knee pain with a total joint replacement from Dr. Kyle McGivern at Direct Orthopedic Care. Dr. McGivern and our other orthopedic surgeons use the cutting-edge Mako Robotic system, which makes total knee replacement easier than ever! Not only that, but it reduces your risk of complications, post-op pain during the recovery period, and time spent in in-patient care including physical therapy.

To learn more about making your knees a little less knee-dy with a Mako total knee replacement, call us today at 855-898-2655, or request an appointment online now at one of our convenient locations. We’d love to help you on your jour-knee to better living! For more information on the cost of care, click here.