Mr Nezar Tumia
Orthopaedic surgery

Partial knee replacement: everything you need to know

Written by: Mr Nezar Tumia

Published: 26/05/2023

Edited by: Conor Dunworth

Several different types of arthritis can affect the knee joint, causing severe pain and dysfunction. This can have a significant impact on your quality of life. One treatment for knee arthritis is a partial knee replacement. In his latest online article, renowned consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Nezar Tumia explains this procedure in detail.

What are some of the different types of arthritis that can affect the knee?

Common types of arthritis include osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis. The knee joint is normally described as three compartments

The medial compartment
The lateral compartment
The patellofemoral joint

Inflammatory arthritis typically affects all three compartments. However, osteoarthritis can be confined to just one or two of the compartments.

When is a knee replacement necessary to treat arthritis?

Knee replacement is a very good way to treat knee arthritis when conservative treatments are not effective. Total knee replacement is indicated for all cases of inflammatory arthritis and in certain cases of osteoarthritis (if all three compartments are affected). If the osteoarthritis is affecting just one or two compartments, then a partial knee replacement can be very effective at reducing pain and restoring function.

What does a partial knee replacement procedure entail? What are the advantages?

Partial knee replacement is not indicated for inflammatory arthritis. Partial knee replacement involves resurfacing the knee joint’s worn parts, done through minimally-invasive surgery.

The wound of a partial knee replacement is generally about a third of the length of a total knee replacement. This means less bleeding and less soft tissue disruption.

Partial knee replacements usually take a shorter amount of time to perform. This reduces the risk of complications including:

Infection
Thrombosis

As it’s a minimally invasive surgery, there is generally less pain after the procedure. It also allows the patient to make a quicker recovery. Partial knee replacement is frequently done as a day-case operation.

Are there different types of partial knee replacement?

There are three types of partial knee replacement:

Medial compartment knee replacement
Lateral compartment knee replacement
Patellofemoral joint knee replacement

The knee joint has to meet certain criteria to be suitable for these different types of knee replacement.

All of these types can be used for any age group, but are generally more beneficial for elderly patients due to quicker recovery time and much less pain.

Nevertheless, all types of knee replacement require an extensive rehabilitation programme following the surgery. This is usually under the guidance of a physiotherapist. Most of the recovery will occur in the first 6 weeks. The patient may need to use walking aids for the first two to four weeks. The patient can return to a low level of activity or a desk-based job 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.

Partial knee replacements tend to restore a large range of movement to the knee joints, with almost full flexion. Patients can return to full activity, including low-impact sports. 90% of patients who undergo a partial knee replacement will have their knee last at least 15 years.

Mr Nezar Tumia is a leading consultant orthopaedic surgeon based in Newcastle upon Tyne. If you would like to book a consultation with Mr Tumia, you can do so via his Top Doctors profile.

By Mr Nezar Tumia

Orthopaedic surgery in Tyne and Wear

Mr Nezar Tumia is an esteemed orthopaedic consultant surgeon, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. With over 25 years of experience, Mr Tumia is highly skilled in numerous orthopaedic procedures, specialising in hip and knee surgery, notably partial and total replacements, revision (redo) surgeries, and the treatment of sport-related knee and hip injuries with keyhole surgery. Mr Tumia earned his intercollegiate fellowship qualification from the Royal College of Edinburgh after finishing...

By Mr Nezar Tumia
Orthopaedic surgery

Mr Nezar Tumia is an esteemed orthopaedic consultant surgeon, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. With over 25 years of experience, Mr Tumia is highly skilled in numerous orthopaedic procedures, specialising in hip and knee surgery, notably partial and total replacements, revision (redo) surgeries, and the treatment of sport-related knee and hip injuries with keyhole surgery.

Mr Tumia earned his intercollegiate fellowship qualification from the Royal College of Edinburgh after finishing his high specialist training in Scotland. During his training, he travelled to Toronto, Canada to complement his surgical experience. He was awarded the Doctorate of Medicine degree by the University of Aberdeen for his research into meniscal regeneration and a project on knee cartilage engineering.

Mr Tumia has developed a special interest in partial knee (unicondylar and patellofemoral replacement) and total knee replacements, including complex revision (redo) reconstruction surgery. He is also interested in hip replacement including hip resurfacing, ceramic replacement, and complex redo reconstruction surgery. Mr Tumia’s practice also includes knee and hip arthroscopy (keyhole) concerning sports-related injuries. He has performed a large amount of knee and hip replacements, both complex and standard, partial and total. He has achieved high patient satisfaction. Mr Tumia has a private practice at the Nuffield Health, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospital.

Alongside his clinical work, Mr Tumia was involved in research, and his work was published and presented both nationally and internationally. In 2009, he won the best paper award in Germany.