Do You Need A Smart Knee Balancing Total Knee Arthroplasty?

There are a number of different ways to approach total knee surgery, also known as total knee arthroplasty (TKA). TKA is an effective way to manage end-stage degenerative joint disease located in the knee. During surgery, it is important that there is the correct balance between the implant’s alignment, sizing, and rotation in order for the patient to have the best results. When the soft tissue in the knee is imbalance, that means that there can be issues causing instability and stiffness in your knee. In this article, you will learn all about smart knee balancing TKA, including why people need knee replacements, how to prepare for smart knee balancing surgery, what happens during surgery, the possible risks that come with surgery, what the recovery is like, and how Midwest Orthopaedic Consultants can help you before, during, and after recovery. 

Why Do People Need Balanced Knee Replacements?

People need to get surgeries for a number of different reasons. In this case, people require knee replacement surgeries because they have issues with their knees. Oftentimes, your doctor will not immediately recommend that you get surgery to heal your medical condition. Why put your body through all the stresses of surgery if you don’t need to? Sometimes, all your body needs is to rest, heat or ice, pain and/or anti-inflammatory medications, or to do exercises prescribed by your physical therapists. Unfortunately, those non-surgical remedies do not always get rid of the issues. Sometimes, the issue is a lot more serious and requires surgery. At that point, your doctor might suggest that you receive total knee arthroplasty. 

What Is Balanced Knee Replacement Surgery?

There is a lot of debate regarding what a balanced total knee replacement actually consists of. Despite that fact, here is one definition on what balanced knee surgery means. 

• Corrects rotational balance between the femur and tibia. 
• Regain full range of movement in the injured knee. 
• Reduced maximal flexion without excessive rollback on the femur or tibia. 

How to Prepare for Smart Knee Balancing TKA

Like any major surgery, you should never just wait around until your surgery date comes around. In order to have a better recovery, you should prepare your body for surgery. Here are some things that you should do to prepare for your total knee surgery. 

• Physical therapy. Physical therapy or exercises in general are a great way to safely move your body before and after surgery. Some exercises that could help include thigh squeezes, leg raises, and knee bending. Of course, you do not want to push yourself too hard because you risk injuring yourself further or re-injuring yourself after surgery. 
• Ask the surgeon questions. It is completely normal to be a little worried about surgery or have questions regarding the procedure. That being said, don’t be afraid to ask your surgeon or physical therapists questions. If you are not quite sure what to ask, here are some good questions that might not immediately come to mind: How long will surgery take? What type of anesthesia will be used? How long until you can get back to work? How long until you can start working out again?
• Gather important information. It can be quite stressful going through surgery. As a result, you might have a hard time remembering important things or getting important affairs in order. Therefore, it is always a good idea to write down important things like a list of the medications you are currently on, any health conditions you suffer from, your insurance, your doctors’ names and phone numbers, and your emergency contact’s information. 

What Is The Process for Smart Knee Balancing TKA?

During total knee replacement surgery, smart tibial trials have weight-bearing sensors. These sensors will show compartment pressure values and femur-tibial tracking patterns. Without smart trials, the surgeon has to rely on the feel and look of the imbalance. In other words, the process works without smart trials; however, it makes the surgery more precise because the surgeon has a better idea of what they are dealing with versus solely relying on what they see and feel. 

What are The Possible Risks?

Like any surgery, total knee arthroplasty does come with its possible risks. Here are some of the possible complications that can come with surgery: 

• Complications with anesthesia. Like any major surgery that requires general anesthesia, there is a possibility of suffering from a stroke, pneumonia, blood clot, or heart attack. 
• Blood clots. When it comes to blood clots, or deep vein thrombosis, they can potentially complicate your knee surgery. However, if it is caught in time, the pulmonary embolism can be treated with medication. 
• Infection. Although you are given antibiotics throughout surgery to reduce your chances of infection, Even though the proper pre-cautions are taken, there is still a small chance of catching an infection. That being said, infections can occur in about 2–3% of patients. Fortunately, in most cases, antibiotics can be used to treat the infection. 

What Is The Recovery Like?

The recovery process begins as soon as you wake up from surgery. Throughout recovery, you will work with a physical therapist and they will help you regain strength and flexibility in your knee. By week 2 of the recovery process, you should be able to slowly move around your house with the help of a walking assistance, like a walker, cane, or crutches. Eventually, as time goes on, you should slowly be getting back to where you were prior to surgery. 

Smart Knee Balancing TKA at Midwest Orthopaedic Consultants

Any kind of surgery can be quite painful to go through. Luckily, we are here to help you from start to finish during your recovery period. At Midwest Orthopaedic Consultants, we have an excellent team of specialists that will help you every step of the way. 

If you have an injured knee or are recovering from surgery, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and book an appointment today!