Inner (Medial) Partial Knee Replacement

If a knee joint starts to wear out, in 80% of cases the process usually starts on the inner (medial) side of the joint before the rest of the knee becomes involved. The articular cartilage, or lining tissue of the inner part of the knee, becomes worn down and the bone of the femur and tibia begin to grind together to causing pain and discomfort.

If the problem is identified at an early stage it is possible to resurface just the inner aspect of the femur and tibia with a very thin lining of special medical grade stainless steel. To prevent the two metal surfaces grinding together a small plastic bearing is inserted on to the top of the tibial plate to allow easy articulation.

The great advantage of this procedure is that none of the ligaments either around the knee or inside the knee are disturbed because we are simply recoating or relining the worn areas of the joint. This bearing replicates the role of the cartilage in the natural knee.

The prosthesis used is the Zimmer Unicompartmental High Flex Knee. This implant recently has been modified specifically for the more active patient from an established implant with a long successful track record of reliability. It also has a number of features which allow it to be revised or added to as various other parts of the joint may wear out in the future in an active patient.