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Knee Replacement Surgery

Knee replacement surgery – medically known as arthroplasty – can help to relieve pain and restore function to knees damaged by arthritis. Arthroplasty involves four basic steps:

  • Prepare Bone Surfaces: The surgeon will remove and prepare damaged surfaces at the ends of the femur and tibia.
  • Position Metal Implants: The surgeon will then fit the patient with metal components to replace the damaged surfaces of the knee joint. These metal parts may be cemented in place.
  • Resurface the Patella: In some instances, surgeons will cut and resurface the undersurface of the patella.
  • Insert a Spacer: The surgeon will insert a medical grade plastic spacer between the metal components to achieve a smooth gliding surface.

For most people, knee replacement surgery successfully alleviates pain and improves their mobility. Most knee replacements are expected to last more than 15 years.

Knee Replacement Complications

In an effort to increase the surgical efficiency of knee replacements, medical device manufacturers developed high-viscosity cement (HVC). HVC involves combining two separate components – a powder and a liquid. High-viscosity cement has a shorter mixing time and takes longer to set-up. This makes high-viscosity cement more surgically convenient to use than low or medium viscosity cements. However, researchers have noted an increase in early failure rates of knee replacement surgeries when high-viscosity cement is used. There is evidence that the bond produced by HVC is not as strong as low or medium viscosity cements and can fail.

Knee Replacement Failure Side Effects

Patients who experience a bone cement or knee replacement failure often require an additional (revision) surgery to remove and replace the knee components.
Common symptoms include:

What To Do If You Experience Complications

If you experienced a failed knee replacement surgery, you may be entitled to compensation. Our firm is investigating cases involving failures that may be associated with high-viscosity bone cement. For a free case evaluation, please contact our office at 877-230-7459 or fill out the contact form on this page.

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