Partial Knee Replacement

At Flagstaff Bone & Joint, we are committed to offering our patients the exceptional joint care they need to get back to an active, healthy lifestyle. As a part of this commitment, Darius Moezzi, M.D. proudly offers partial knee replacement.

Partial knee replacement, also called unicompartmental knee arthroplasty or MAKOplasty®, is performed when damage to a knee from osteoarthritis is confined to one compartment. By selectively targeting the part of your knee damaged by osteoarthritis, your surgeon can resurface your knee while sparing the healthy bone and ligaments surrounding it.

What Is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the wearing away of the protective tissue, called articular cartilage, within the joint. The cartilage acts as a shock absorber in the joint and allows for smooth and stable movement within the joint. When the cartilage thins, the joint can become inflamed and you may feel pain and stiffness in the joint as well as have a limited range of motion.

Advantages of Partial Knee Replacement

This advanced procedure was designed to provide the following benefits:

  • Enable surgeons to precisely resurface only the arthritic portion of the knee
  • Preserve the healthy tissue and bone of the knee
  • Facilitate optimal implant positioning to result in a more natural feeling following surgery
  • Result in a more rapid recovery and shorter hospital stay than traditional total knee replacement surgery

Are You a Good Candidate for Partial Knee Replacement?

People with medial or lateral knee osteoarthritis can be considered for partial knee replacement. Medial refers to the inside compartment of the joint, which is the compartment nearest the opposite knee. Lateral refers to the outside compartment farthest from the opposite knee.

If your symptoms are not responding to nonsurgical solutions, you should speak to your doctor, as you may be a candidate for surgery.

To learn more about partial knee replacement or to schedule an appointment with one of our experts, please call (928) 773-2280 or schedule an appointment online.