Lets begin  with the basic of the knee anatomy

The knee joint is formed by the conjunction of three bones, the thigh bone or the femur,the skin bone or the tibia, the knee cap or the patella  .

The meeting surfaces of these bones are capped by cartilage. This cartilage is a cushioning and lubricating system on the weight bearing area of the knee. There are two important ligaments , the ACL and the PCL which join the two bones together. Also the movement of the knee is controlled by several ligaments and muscles .The important muscles include the quadriceps muscles in the front and hamstring muscles in the back.

How your knee functions? >>>

The knee joint acts as a hinge for the tibia (shin) and femur (thigh) bones, and is held together by ligaments , muscles , tendons, and cartilages . in a healthy joint , Cartilage (smooth,soft tissue) acts as shock absorber for the ends of the bones that meet to from a joint. Normal cartilage permits friction-less ,pain free movement.

The healthy knee joint also has joint capsule lined by the synovial membrane produces lubricating fluid which contributes to the smooth movement of the knee.

What is arthritis   >>>

Arthritis means destruction of the joint, what is the thing that is destroyed? it's the cartilage that caps the two meeting surfaces of the bones taking part in the joint.

There are several forms of arthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis - this is a multi jointarthritis. its generally genetic and it involves many joints big and small together and it affects the body as a whole.
• Osteo arthritis- this is a mechanical wear of the joints much in the same way as the wheels of the car would wear out . This is something that we see most commonly in the knees. This is more common in the women and it starts by age of fifty.
• Secondary osteo arthritis- this is a type of osteoarthritis which occurs at a younger age than expected . This is because of some incident which affects the joint like some trauma/fracture or ligament injury. it accelerates the wear of the knee.

People who suffer more from Artrhitis  >>>

People who exercise excessively , people who are overweight and not physically fit, and people who have a genetic predisposition towards joint weakness and arthritis are more likely to suffer from damaged joints.

SYMPTOMS OF OSTEO ARTHRITIS- WHEN MOVEMENT HURTS

The symptoms of osteo arthritis of the knee are five fold 

• Pain with movement and finally pain at rest also 
• Stiffness and crepitus.
• Swelling off and on
• Instability-occasional sense of giving way of the knee.
• Deformity or gradual bending of the knees - the knees do not look fully straight.

TREATMENTS

• Medication:- Many drugs, both prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, are used to treat arthritis,
• Exercise:-  Regular exercise is important to keep the body moving and flexible, it help to lessen pain increase movement,reduce fatigue, and helps you look and feel better,
• Heat or Cold :- Use of heat or cold over joint provides short-term relief from pain stiffness.
• Loss of excess weight :- Because excess weight causes strain to be placed on already-damaged joints, losing weight is one of the best way to improve the condition of your knee and optimize surgical result.
• Surgery:- Most people will not need surgery  but in severe cases surgery is effective in eliminating path then other treatment method have failed. 

WHO NEEDS TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT

• Knee pain that limits your every day activity. you find it difficult to climb stairs, or walk out doors
• Moderate pain persisting at rest
• Chronic inflammation of knee persisting despite treatment
• Bending of Knees deformity
• Stiffness or inability to bend or straighten your knees
• Failure to obtain pain relief from the non steroidalanti inflammatory drugs.

HOW LONG WILL THE IMPLANT LAST

A navigated knee replacement is expected to last about twenty to twenty  five years that is a life time for most of us .The computer  navigation increases the life span of the implant by means of precision because of increase of accuracy.

ROLE OF COMPUTER NAVIGATION IN KNEE REPLACEMENT

Computerized Navigation is a technology used in knee replacement which maps the patients knee and records the real time axis of movement . it precisely calculates the bone cuts and the placements and rotation of the implants . it also gives a simulation to various situations and allows the surgeon to select the best situation.

It is different from the conventional knee replacement which puts the implant in a pre  determined way but this navigation puts the implant as per the specific suitability of every patient. The Navigation machine ORTHOPILOT uses infra red diodes, computer , sophisticated soft ware , the specific camera to record and suggest the real time patient specific information.

Proven in USA, EUROPE and ASIA PACIFIC. this navigation system introduces far more accurate implantation and precision technology . THIS DRASTICALLY IMPROVE THE RESULTS.

At the beginning of the surgery the surgeon specifically positions small infra red transmitters on the leg and the real time mapping of the knee bones and the various movement are done. This data is used by the computer to create the real anatomic picture of the knee and guides the surgeon to the utmost precise bone cuts, soft tissue balancing implant positions.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE KNEE REPLACEMENT USING THE ORTHOPILOT 

ORTHOPILOT also has very sophisticated soft ware for MINIMALLY INVASIVE KNEE REPLACEMENT .

This makes the surgery possible with small incision and much faster recovery.