微创全膝关节 Replacement Surgery

By John T Dearborn, MD and Alexander Sah, MD
Co-Medical董事
Institute for Joint Restoration and 研究
Washington 医院 Healthcare System

More than 600,000 knee replacement surgeries are performed in the U.S. each year, and that number is growing. 根据一份来自 Agency for Healthcare 研究 and Quality, the annual number of knee replacement procedures is estimated to grow by 673 percent, to 3.4800万年, 到2030年. The good news is emerging technologies hold promise for reducing the time required for knee replacement surgery, minimizing surgical risks and providing more "personalized" knee replacement implants.

传统膝关节置换术

Traditional knee replacement surgery, in practice since the late 1960s in the United States, has typically utilized an extensive, 8 to 12 inch incision on the front of the knee. The actual size of the incision depends 取决于病人的体型. The deep portion of the dissection divides one of the quadriceps muscles in the thigh, called the vastus medialis, and requires that the kneecap or patella, be dislocated and flipped over 在本身. Although the muscle heals eventually, the trauma which occurs at the time of surgery takes months to resolve.

Minimally Invasive Knee Replacement

A handful of knee replacement specialists in this country have developed specialized techniques and instruments to allow the same operation to be done with a very limited incision and dissection. 皮肤切口 is typically three to five inches in length. 更重要的是，肌肉 in the thigh is left alone and the kneecap is simply shifted to the side. Minimally invasive partial or unicompartmental knee replacement has been performed using similar techniques since the late 1990s.

The advantages of this approach are many, including reduced pain, earlier return of knee motion, and a faster recovery for the patient. 长度 of stay in the hospital has also been reduced to approximately two days for one knee and three days for two knees. 这些改进也 made knee replacement surgery available to many patients with health problems severe enough to preclude the traditional procedure. 因为暴露 is less extensive, minimally invasive knee surgery is not applicable to all patients, especially those with very stiff knees or large legs.

To gain more knowledge about joint replacement and related therapies, visit www.dearbornassoc.com OR www.SahOrtho.com