Knee Replacement

The surgical procedure. A total knee replacement is a surgical procedure where the diseased knee joint is completely replaced by artificial materials that resemble the original knee joint. The orthopedic surgeon removed the end of the femur and the end of the tibia by using metal pieces and sawing the bone, to ensure that he removes the right amount of bone. The end of the femur bone is replaced with metal and the end of the tibia bone is replaced with plastic and metal. A plastic piece was added under the patella because the surface under the patella was damaged as well. These artificial materials, called prosthesis, have smooth surfaces so when they rub against each other, it does not cause damage and is pain-free. The purpose of this surgery is to remove the diseased portions of the joint and replace it with artificial materials to prevent further deterioration and eliminate pain, stiffness, and decreases in function that were caused by the osteoarthritis.

A total knee replacement (TKA) is the most common joint surgery performed in the United States (Turner, 2011, pp. 27-32). Each year, over 650,000 Americans undergo this surgery (Wittig-Wells, 2015, pp. 45-49). It is an invasive surgery that involves an incision on top of the knee and replacing damaged parts of the knee with artificial parts that are either metal, ceramic or plastic. Someone would get a total knee replacement for damage of the joint, osteoarthritic, posttraumatic, or inflammatory arthritis. The cartilage is damaged, wears away and then you develop bony deformity and contracture of ligaments but it starts out with specific defects or wear of cartilage. The top nursing priorities for a total knee arthroplasty is to “prevent complications, promote optimal mobility, alleviate pain, and provide information about diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment needs” (Doenges, 2014, pg. 627). A possible nursing diagnosis from the patient who is undergoing a TKA might be ‘impaired physical mobility related to pain and discomfort as evidenced by reluctance to attempt movement.’ Another one could be ‘acute pain related to chronic joint disease as evidenced by reports of pain’ (Vera, 2014).

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease, highly prevalent in African Americans. African Americans men are 3 times more likely then Caucasians men to have involvement of all three compartments of the knee (Jordan, 2015). Total Knee Replacement (TKR) is a cost-effective treatment. Nonetheless, TKR rates are lower in African Americans.

According to Su et all (2009), knee replacement is an effective way to find relief of pain and improve mobility, but most importantly giving the patient education and skills during early recovery. In comparison, all articles focused on the need of improving mobility after surgery. Assessing the patient’s abilities and the need for physical therapy and keeping an eye out for complications. A main focus was pain relief and that recovery for each patient varies, but it is important to get them ambulating with assistive devices soon after surgery. My patient at Kindred, had continuous assessment and an interdisciplinary team that assisted in her road to

I will be taking sick leave tomorrow, Monday, January 9, 2017, so I can pick-up my mother from the hospital in Winchester, VA. She had knee replacement surgery this past Thursday and she is scheduled to be released around noon tomorrow. I also need to get her prescriptions filled, so it will be a full day.

Getting a total or even a partial hip replacement in Frisco, TX is a major surgical event, and the process of deciding whether or not to have a the procedure performed is an even bigger decision. Perhaps the most daunting aspect of getting a hip replacement in Frisco, TX is the recovery time that is necessary following the surgery. If you're not sure whether or not it may be time to tackle this kind of major surgery, here are some of the signs you should be looking out for.

If you're going to have knee replacement surgery, you should expect to have trouble getting around well enough to take care of yourself for several days after the procedure. While you'll be in the hospital a few days, once you've recovered from the actual surgery, you will be discharged to recover in a nursing facility or at home. If you don't have family to help you, hiring home health care will allow you to return home to your familiar surroundings to recuperate. Here why a home health care service is beneficial.

Total knee replacements are known as the most effective orthopedic procedures in the world. These surgeries are most often preformed on geriatric patients. Over time, because the knee is one of the lowest joints in the body, it is typically more prone to wear compared to joints holding less body weight. In the United States, the overall amount of total knee replacements exceeds over four times the overall number of total hip replacements. In the year of 2015, the estimated number of total knee replacements was predicted to be about 719,000 ("Inpatient Surgery." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Ordinarily knee replacements are used to ease pain and disability caused by arthritis or other joint problems, while preserving movement.

Joint replacements are among the most common and successful orthopedic surgeries, giving more people the opportunity to remain active well into their golden years. (American) The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimates there are more than 300,000 total hip replacements (THRs) and 600,000 total knee replacements (TKRs) performed every year—numbers that will only increase in the future. Most patients who undergo total joint replacement, or arthroplasty, experience a dramatic reduction in pain and a significant improvement in their ability to function in daily life. (American Hip)

There are several factors that go into considering if you may be a good candidate for a Total Knee Replacement. One of the most common causes could be due to all forms of arthritis; such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even post-traumatic arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common reason for needing a Total Knee Replacement. Arthritis can severely damage an individual’s knee, causing massive pain. However, the first approach is trying the nonsurgical treatments first. Medications and even using walking supports are usually the first approach before considering surgery. When these methods fail to work the very next step is for surgery.

If you sustain a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), you may require surgery to correct it. This is not an uncommon injury, and it can occur during engagement in a sport as well as when a person simply twists the knee and falls. Once you have undergone torn ligament surgery, one of the best ways to regain strength and proper mobility in your knee is to rehabilitate it with physical therapy.

Research Question: Does a Multicomponent Discharge Planning Program improve patient and hospital outcomes in older adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty?

Nowadays total hip replacement surgery is a common procedure with statistics continuing to show a raised numbers of operations taking place and, steadily increasing. From 2010-2011 in England and Wales, over 77,800 total hip replacements and more than 9,000 hip revisions were carried out (National Joint Registry 2011, p35). Also the routine elective surgery period between admission and discharge has been reduced in recent years. In England during 2009/2010 the length of stay was recorded as 5 days for total hip replacement (Health Service Journal 2011)

The most common indication for total knee replacement is osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease. The end stage of osteoarthritis is wearing out of cartilage (smooth, gliding bone ends) resulting in bone-to-bone contact in diseased joints. It is progressive and becomes increasingly painful as the cartilage erodes. Younger people who get knee replacements have damaged their joints by trauma (accidents that destroy joint surfaces), infection, cancer or tumor, and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) had been a common surgical treatment1 for single compartment osteoarthritis (OA) other than total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and high tibial osteotomy (HTO). The outcome of UKA is comparable with total knee arthroplasty2; with having the advantages of lesser bone resection, lower risk of infection, lesser thromboembolic event, reduced length of hospitalization3 and early functional recovery4. Furthermore, preservation of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments with intact patellofemoral joint and meniscus may allow the operated knee mimicking near normal knee kinetics5, 6. Despite having such reported advantages, patients who underwent UKA surgery were known to have a higher risk of revision