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A knee replacement replaces damaged knee joints with artificial ones. This helps alleviate pain and stiffness caused by arthritis or knee injuries. Here are some signs you should talk to a doctor about your candidacy for this orthopedic surgery

When Is It Likely Time for a Knee Replacement?

1. The Pain Is Unmanageable

Some knee problems can be managed with non-invasive treatments. These could include pain relief medications, physical therapy, or losing weight to remove the strain on your joints. However, if your issue doesn't respond to these efforts or gets worse, knee replacement may be the next logical step. 

2. Your Movements Are Severely Limited

orthopedic surgery

When you have knee arthritis, the cartilage that protects your knee from friction gets dry and worn out. You also won't produce as much synovial fluid, which is a substance that lubricates your joints. 

Without lubrication, your knee joint can't move as much. The stiffness, along with the pain, can prevent you from comfortably doing tasks like taking baths or climbing stairs. It can also affect your ability to get healthy exercise, which can cause added weight to put more strain on your knee. Surgery will help get you back to your pain-free daily life. 

3. Your Knee Is Constantly Swollen

When your joints are dried out because of arthritis, the bones will rub against each other. This creates plenty of friction, inflaming the joints and making your knee swell. If your knee is persistently swollen, joint components are likely rubbing against each other. In this case, a doctor is likely to recommend orthopedic surgery to remove the worn-out knee components and relieve inflammation permanently.

 

If you're dealing with the issues above, have your knees checked by the Orthopedic Associates of SW Ohio. This includes Dr. Matthew Heckler, Dr. Atiba Jackson, Dr. Chad Reed and Dr. Jerrod Steimle. Patients throughout southwestern Ohio have trusted these chronic pain management providers since 1985. They use cutting-edge technology and methods, such as robot-assisted orthopedic surgery, to provide personalized solutions. You can call (937) 428-0400 to schedule a check-up, or learn more about their joint replacement services online

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