Oxford Partial Knee Replacement

Oxford Partial Knee Replacement

I had an opportunity to attend hands on workshop cum certificate course on Oxford Partial Knee Replacement, conducted by the pioneer of this technique, Dr. Christopher Dodd . It’s a good thing that they don’t allow anyone to do this surgery, unless one has done the certificate course of this . I am feeling honoured and privileged on being allowed to perform this cutting edge surgery i.e. oxford knee replacement.

Oxford Partial Knee Replacement Advantages

Oxford Knee Partial Knee Replacement can be offered to approx. 25 % of the patients who have been advised total knee replacement. It has following advantages over total knee replacement , although the surgery in itself is very exacting, precise and demanding:

1. It is performed through a very small incision. Hence , it has been named microplasty .
2. As there is very less soft tissue handling, this is a less painful surgery.
3. It’s a bone preserving surgery, as there is very minimum bone cuts .
4. Patient starts walking on the same day of surgery. He needs a stick for walking, not a walker .
5. There is no role of physiotherapy after this surgery, while after total knee replacement physiotherapy is to be continued at least for 3 – 4 months .
6. Patient is discharged from the hospital just after 1 – 2 days , just like any other surgery .
7. Postoperative discomfort and stiffness rate is very less .
8. Chances of infection is very minimal, less than 0.01% .
9. Patient becomes normal within 3 – 6 months .
10. It follows kinematics of the normal knee , leading to normal movement.
11. Patient can squat , sit cross legged and on the ground after 3 – 6 months.
12. Success rate ( survival rate ) of this procedure is 95% after 20 years of surgery.
13. If knee becomes bad due to increasing osteoarthritis, it can be converted into total knee replacement later on .

Phew …… And the list goes on about the advantage of Oxford Knee above Total knee replacement in the selected patients.

Time spent in the hospital is typically 1-2 days compared to 3-4 days for a total knee. Range of motion is regained much quicker and overall Oxford partial knee replacement recovery time is 1-2 months faster. Most patients are walking again in 3-4 weeks and only require 4-6 months of physical therapy.