• Arthritis
• Are You a Candidate for Hip Replacement? (Video)
• Are You a Candidate for Knee Replacement? (Video)

• Is Surgery Right for You?
  • What to Expect the Day of Surgery
  • What to Expect Following Surgery
  • Possible Complications of Surgery
  • What to Expect When You're Fully Recovered
  • Life After Joint Replacement

• Animation of Normal Knee
• Arthritis: The Leading Cause of Knee Pain
• Conventional Knee Replacement
• Animation of Knee Replacement
• Knee Replacement Surgery

• Hip Treatment Options
• Hip Replacement FAQ

• 10 Questions to Ask
• Standard Treatment Options
• You Don't Have to Live with Joint Pain
• What You Need to Know About Joint Replacement Surgery

• Map & Directions

Home / About the Knee /

Conventional Knee Replacement

Conventional knee replacement is a surgical procedure — performed in the US since the 1960s — in which a diseased or damaged joint is replaced with an artificial joint called a prosthesis. Made of metal alloys and high-grade plastics (to mimic the function of bone and cartilage, respectively), the prosthesis is designed to move just like a healthy human joint. Over the years, knee replacement techniques and instrumentation have undergone countless improvements. Today, knee replacement is one of the safest and most successful types of major surgery; in well over 90% of cases it is complication-free and results in significant pain relief and restoration of mobility.

Knee replacement is major surgery, and as such, there are certain risks and expectations that must be recognized. For example, for some knee replacement candidates, the 3 to 5 day hospital stay, 3 to 12 week recovery period, and 8 to 12 inch scar present significant obstacles to having the procedure.