In approximately one third of cases of osteoarthritis of the knee the wear and tear is confined to one compartment of the knee (either medial or lateral). In these cases a unicompartmental knee replacement (see diagram) can be performed. It has several advantages, including a smaller incision, quicker recovery and allows the knee to move in a much more normal way than what occurs with a total knee replacement. The range of movement following a unicompartmental knee replacement is usually significantly better, and it is very unusual to need a blood transfusion, which is commonly required in a total knee replacement. The decision to perform a unicompartmental or total knee replacement is based on the localisation of the pain, the severity of the disease process and the degree of any knee deformity.

If you have any questions regarding knee replacement it is often a good idea to write them down prior to your consultation and use them as a memory jogger at the time of consultation.

If you have any concerns or do not feel that all of your questions have been properly answered after the initial consultation, then it is wise to make a further consultation before making a definite decision prior to going ahead with knee replacement surgery.