By: Peter R. Kurzweil, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center, Long Beach Medical Center

For people that suffer from chronic knee pain and are unable to find adequate relief with conservative treatment options, like bracing, medication or injections, your doctor may recommend partial joint replacement surgery and at an earlier stage. Historically, primary candidates for total joint replacement surgery are individuals with chronic joint pain that interferes with daily activities, such as walking, exercise, leisure, recreation and work.

Now there is another option for patients instead of waiting through chronic joint pain for a total joint replacement surgery. If you have arthritis confined to one part of the knee, it may it may be time to consider another option — partial knee replacement. In general, candidates tend to be younger, more active and in otherwise good health.

Partial Knee Replacement

The MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center at Long Beach Medical Center offers a skilled orthopedic surgery team, who has performed thousands of joint replacement surgery cases, including partial knee.

Partial knee replacement is an alternative to total knee replacement where only the damaged part of the knee cartilage is replaced with a prosthesis. This procedure is typically recommended by orthopedic surgeons when the damage to the knee is limited to one part of the knee and allows the surgeon to preserve healthy ligaments and bone.

Advancing Partial Knee Replacement Surgery with Mako™ Technology

Surgeons at Long Beach Medical Center embrace advanced technology and are using a robotic-assisted surgical technology called Mako™, which brings a new level of precision to treating patients with knee and hip pain.

This advanced technology transforms the way partial knee replacements are performed. Through CT-based 3-D modeling of bone anatomy, surgeons can use the Mako System to create a personalized surgical plan and identify the implant size, orientation and alignment based on each patient’s unique anatomy.

Mako Partial Knee is unique in that it allows surgeons to address only the diseased portion of the knee, retaining as much of the natural knee as possible — including healthy bone and ligaments. In summary, the other benefits of Mako Partial Knee include:

  • Less tissue damage
  • Reduced blood loss
  • Reduced post-op pain (varying by patient)
  • Faster rehab and recovery
  • Improved range of motion in the knee

The MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center at Long Beach Medical Center is dedicated to offering the latest and most effective treatments for hip and knee replacement, including Mako Partial Knee.

The MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center at Long Beach Medical Center specializes in a rapid rehabilitation program – where patients walk the same day of surgery – resulting in a shorter hospital stay – average hospital stay is zero to two days. The MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center features a dedicated unit for joint replacement patients with 15 private rooms, a joint care coordinator to help patients navigate through the program, patient education before and after surgery and a rehab coach to provide support as patients take their first steps toward an active lifestyle.

Speak with a physician to determine if Mako Partial Knee is right for you. For more information, visit memorialcare.org/JointReplacement or call 800-MEMORIAL.