What does ‘knee replacement’ really mean? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Weight loss, NSAIDs, physical therapy, you’ve done it all and your knees are even more painful. Stefan Coombs, an orthopedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins, says when surgery seems to be the best option, so called knee replacement should be understood.

Coombs: The surgical procedure really involves a sophisticated sort of shaving of both the knee and the damaged cartilage, one to two to three degrees at very specific angles. So what we essentially do is resurface the damaged knee to accommodate an inert metal implant used to cap the ends of the bones. A good analogy that I use for patients is that compared to a tooth extraction and implantation and knee replacement is more of a crown over tooth being put on.   :32

Coombs says another technique known as a partial knee replacement might be considered based on what’s going on in your knee. A knee expert and imaging can help inform the right decision for you. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.