T
hough often con-
sidered more of a
niche procedure,
replacing only the
diseased part of the
knee offers advantages to the
right patient, including a faster
recovery and higher satisfac-
tion with the overall results,
says Seth S. Leopold, MD, a
professor of orthopedics and
sports medicine at the
University of Washington in
Seattle. Dr. Leopold recently
discussed the advantages and
disadvantages of unicompart-
mental knee arthroplasty, and
what it takes to perform the
procedures successfully in the
outpatient setting.
Q:
What are the main
benefits of partial knee
replacements?
A:
The technique leaves all of
the cartilage on the patella,
and surgeons replace only the
part of the joint where arthritis
has done damage instead of all of
the knee's compartments as they
do during total replacements. For
these reasons, patients who
undergo partial knees often think
the joint feels more natural or
"normal" after surgery. Very few
patients who undergo a total
knee replacement ever forget that
they've had surgery — the joint
always feels a bit mechanical.
Studies involving patients who
had a total knee performed on
4 0 • O U T P A T I
E
N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A R C H 2 0 2 1
Should You Add Uni-Knees?
A surgeon shares important factors to
consider before bringing the procedure online.
Kendal Gapinski | Contributing Editor
LESS IS MORE Partial replacements are not as invasive as total knees, meaning patients recover faster and in potentially
less pain.
Pamela
Bevelhymer
