The Benefits of the Oxford Partial Knee Replacement

Remember when simple routine tasks were something you took for granted? If knee pain is changing your lifestyle, then you need to know this: The new concept in joint replacement surgery is to only replace the worn out portion of the arthritic joint. A large number of people with osteoarthritis of the knee have worn out only one of the three compartments in the knee. If this is the case, the individual may only require a partial replacement.

The Oxford Partial Knee Replacement is the first implant that can accomplish this task with proven long term results of 95% at 15 years and beyond. For this reason the Oxford makes a whole or total knee joint replacement NOT necessary in many cases. A very common patient scenario is bone on bone osteoarthritis. This occurs due to degeneration or "wear and tear" of the articular cartilage, and degeneration or surgical removal of the meniscus. Once this situation develops, the individual usually has severe pain. An Oxford is perfect for this situation.

After an Oxford has been placed, the bone on bone rubbing condition has been replaced by the Oxford with it's meniscus replacement bearing. The implant actually sits between the bones and cruciate ligaments (white ropes in the middle of the knee) and the medial collateral ligament (white rope on the right side of the knee). A total knee replacement is not necessary for this situation.

The Oxford Advantages:

The Oxford Unicompartmental Knee System offers these advantages:

At 15 years following surgery, 95% of implants are still functioning well.
More normal motion of the human knee
Only a portion of the knee is replaced, making this procedure available to a younger population
Minimally invasive - a small incision is utilized
Less pain due to a smaller operation
Outpatient, or one or two nights in hospital
Quicker recovery - discontinue crutches as fast as one desires
Covered by Insurance and Medicare

No other partial knee replacement has the proven success rate and longevity of Oxford. Until Oxford came along most orthopedists in the United States did not do partial knee replacement because of the high failure rate of these earlier implants. Many orthopedists today still do not recommend partial knee replacement for their patients because they are not familiar with Oxford or qualified to do it. If your orthopedist tells you "partial knee replacement does not work", you need to get another opinion. If your orthopedist tells you a different brand of partial knee replacement has the same success rate of Oxford, ask him to show you the scientific paper or data supporting his opinion.

The Oxford Partial Knee Replacement prosthesis allows for better range of motion of the knee by virtue of replication of the function of the menisci and allows for more normal motion of the human knee. With the Oxford partial knee replacement, only a portion of the knee is replaced. In performing an Oxford, the anterior cruciate and posterior cruciate ligaments are always preserved. In performing a total knee replacement, the anterior cruciate ligament is always removed; sometimes the posterior cruciate ligament is removed as well.

In some cases, this prosthesis may be applicable to individuals who were previously considered too young to undergo a total knee replacement. The Oxford implant utilizes a minimally invasive procedure in which patients may experience less pain and a quicker recovery time than experienced with a total knee replacement.

Talk with your orthopedic surgeon to find out if you are a candidate for a partial knee replacement.