Revision Knee Replacement

Left knee revision surgery Sam Patten Melbourne Orthopaedic Surgery Surgeon.

About Revision Knee Replacement Surgery

Knee replacement is a highly effective treatment for arthritis and involves replacing part some or all of the knee’s joint surfaces. In rare instances, problems may arise that will require surgery to replace part or all parts of the knee replacement. This is called ‘revision surgery’ and is a sub-specialty practice that may require a high level of medical support such as intensive care, as well as a highly experienced surgical and medical team.

Revision knee replacement involves exchanging one or all the components of a person’s knee replacement and treating any other associated problems, such as infection or loss of bone or skin and muscle from around the knee. This treatment may require the input of several other surgical and medical specialists.

Revision knee replacement surgery can be undertaken for various reasons, usually to treat a complication that has occurred with the person’s knee replacement, such as:

  • Wear of one or all the components; this tends to happen over time as the components get older

  • Fracture of bone around the knee replacement (peri-prosthetic fracture)

  • Looseness or instability of the knee replacement (instability)

  • Loosening of one or all the components (prosthetic loosening)

  • Infection around the knee replacement (peri-prosthetic infection)

  • Progression of arthritis in other parts of the knee joint where there has been a partial replacement performed (disease progression)

Given that revision knee replacement surgery can be required to treat many different problems, the nature of this surgery is highly variable in its complexity with some problems requiring only relatively short routine treatments, while others may require lengthy hospital admissions with multiple complex operations and extensive medical therapy.

The decision to operate and the planning required can sometimes be very complicated, and experience in this field is vitally important.

Despite being repeat and sometimes highly complex surgery, the results of revision knee replacement are generally very rewarding for the patient, with improved function and mobility, decreased pain, and a greater quality of life.