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What is Unicondylar Knee Replacement?

By on Monday, December 12th, 2011 | No Comments

Unicondylar knee replacement is also known as partial knee replacement. Our knees are made up of three compartments which are the medial compartment, the lateral compartment and the patellofemoral compartment.

Medial compartment is located on the inside of the knee while the lateral compartment is located on the outside of the knee and the patellofemoral compartment is located in the front of the knee. Unicondylar knee replacement refers to the substitution of only one part of the condyles, the smooth bone ends on either the medial or lateral compartment.

Osteoarthritis can develop only on the medial compartment, or in less common case on the lateral compartment only. Patients with such conditions have an option to undergo unicondylar knee replacement instead of total knee replacement, where all the three compartments are removed and replaced with metal and plastic implants.

unicondylar knee replacement

Other difference between total and unicondylar knee replacement is that total knee replacement or arthroplasty will remove both the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments because the implant substitutes for these ligaments while with unicondylar knee replacement only the diseased compartment is removed and the ligaments will still be preserved. To learn more about the advantages of this method please click on the partial knee replacement previously posted here.

Unicondylar Knee Replacement Requirements

  • Patients with severe arthritis of the knee that have failed conservative treatments, AND:
  • Have arthritis limited to one compartment of the knee
  • Are not extremely active or perform heavy labor. Old people, preferably older than 60 years old are considered good candidates
  • Weighing under 180 lbs
  • Have relatively good range of motion prior to surgery

Unicondylar Knee Replacement is NOT recommended for:

  • Patients with pain throughout the entire knee
  • Patients with systemic inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis
  • Patients with untreated damage to the knee cap and thigh bone joint (patellofemoral joint)
  • Patients with weak or torn ligaments, or having too stiff knee
  • Patients that have an active or suspected infection in or about the knee joint
  • Patients whom may have a known sensitivity to implant materials
  • Patients that have major deformities that can affect the knee mechanical axis
  • Patients that have lost a severe amount of bone from the shin (tibia) or have severe tibial deformities
  • Patients that have any mental neuromuscular disorder or neuromuscular disorders that may compromise motor control and/or stability
  • Patients who are not skeletally mature
  • Patients with overweight problems

A physical examination along with getting the patient’s history is mandatory before deciding whether a patient can be a good candidate for this partial knee replacement. The doctor may also need to perform some X-Rays to check for degeneration of the other knee compartments and evaluate the knee. Other anatomical structures such as ligaments tests will also help to determine if unicondylar knee replacement best suits the arthritic condition.

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Partial Knee Replacement

By on Saturday, December 10th, 2011 | 1 Comment

Partial knee replacement, also known as unicompartmental knee arthroplasty or unicondylar knee replacement can be considered as a treatment option for patients with moderate osteoarthritis on the medial or lateral compartment of knee joint, where there is no need to totally remove all cartilage from the knee joint and substitute it with a metal and plastic implant. Unlike arthroplasty (total knee replacement), partial knee replacement removes only the most damaged areas of the cartilage and replace them.

Also termed as “minimally invasive knee surgery”, partial knee replacement has some advantages over total knee replacement:

Partial Knee Replacement
  • Blood loss is minimized
  • Less post surgery pain
  • Smaller incision
  • Lower incidence of medical complication
  • Faster recovery
  • Felt more “natural” due to the healthy parts of the knee (ligaments, bone and cartilage) are left intact
  • Relatively bend better and has a better range of motion which include kneeling or stair climbing

Partial Knee Replacement Survival Rate

Partial knee replacement was initially introduced in the United States in the 1970s but never gained positive response as the results were poor, with approximately 40% failure rate after 10 years of surgery. This failure rate is much higher than total knee replacement surgery that consistently gave good results, however the next generation of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) involves implants with better design thus giving better results in selected patients.

Long term studies reported excellent results, provided the UKA is done on properly selected patients with proper surgical technique and minimum amount of bone removal. One study reported that the overall survival rate of the implant was 96% after 10 years of initial surgery, with 92% of the patients showing excellent or good outcomes. Another different study reported 93% overall rate of the implants with 91% are reported in good or excellent outcomes, 15 years after the initial surgery had been done. In the United States alone this procedure constitutes approximately 8% of total numbers of knee arthroplasty.

Revision Rate in Partial Knee Replacement

Despite the improved overall survival rate of this surgery, bear in mind that the revision rate of partial knee replacement is higher than of total knee replacement, and technically the revision surgery is more complex on partial knee replacement.

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Breast Augmentation Complications

By on Thursday, December 8th, 2011 | No Comments

Ever considered to improve the look of your bust but are afraid of the breast augmentation complications? Keep in mind that there are many complications that can occur during any surgery. You’ll find that when it comes to breast augmentation there is no exception to this rule. You’ll need to know what to expect for better or worse when it comes to any type of surgery, but you’ll also want to know just so that you don’t end up shocked or even disappointed with some of the after-surgery complications.

Some Breast Augmentation Complications You Need to Know

Breast Augmentation Complications

Some of the things that you’ll want to look for immediately after your surgery is for any post-opt bleeding, filling with fluid, or any typical signs of infection. You’ll find that later complications can also be a threat. They are things like breast pain, nipple sensitivity, and even interference with breast feeding.

Feelings in the breast and nipple can change after the implant surgery has been completed. These changes may include increased sensitivity, chronic pain and lack of feeling in the breast or nipple for several months or even years following the implant surgery. After a few years, it’s between two and eight percent of breast augmentation patients end up having chronic breast pain. Ruptured implant is known to be one of the most serious breast augmentation complications you need to consider, especially if you are dealing with people offering cheap breast augmentation service.

Another 1-2% report breast sensitivity changes, and 3-10% experience nipple complications like losing sensations within that area. Keep in mind that these statistics are the same for both silicone gel implants and the saline implants.

There are no long term data that indicates any complications after five years when it comes to women who have saline implants. You’ll want to keep in mind that the complications can end up having effects on your sensitivity and can be temporary or permanent. It may also have an affect on sexual response and the ability to breast-feed a baby.

You’ll want to be aware of what the breast augmentation complications are and also allow yourself to be informed about all the steps and decisions that are needed in order for you to have a satisfying breast augmentation.

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Breast Augmentation

By on Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 | 1 Comment

Breast augmentation is nothing new, you will find that this is one of the many ways that women feel the need to improve themselves. It’s not easy to stay young and beautiful when life is beginning to take a toll, it was only a matter of time before women turned to science and medicine to help them stay young and vibrant. It is the attention they got from men that made all the pain worth it. You’ll want to keep in mind that women first tried to wear padded clothing, but this only worked until the clothes came off and then the fraud was discovered.

Did you know that in 1889 there were paraffin injections that were tried? It is the earliest form of implants, but you’ll find that it only resulted in a disaster. According to some old records implants where boasted by taking back fat and moving it to the breast. There were many other tries that failed.

breast augmentation

In 1895 the first implant was performed. As for the substances that were used, you will find that it left a lot to be desired. Glass balls, ox cartilage, ivory, Terylene wood, polyethylene chips, ground rubber, polyester, Silastic rubber and Teflon-silicone prostheses were some of the choices. It wasn’t until 1961 that silicone implants were developed. The saline implants followed in 1964. There have been other substances developed, but none as common today as saline and silicone.

Then in the 1940’s and 1950’s the world started to think about injections of silicone. In fact, over 50,000 women received these injections. The injections were used in order to make the women’s chest wall tissue to add some volume.. An estimated 50,000 women received injections of silicone. In some of these women, hardening of the breasts and development of silicone granulomas (small nodules) were so severe, mastectomies were needed for treatment. 30 years after these treatments, women are still seeking medical services from complications resulting from these injections.

silicone implants breast augmentation

Did you know that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has stated that the breast augmentation is one of the most common types of surgeries that are being sought out? 329,000 breast augmentations were done in 2006. The surgery doesn’t last that one, and it only takes and hour or two to complete the procedure. The visits between patient and surgeon before the surgery are usually spent discussing the type of procedure that will be used. The differences are in the type of implant, the incision that’s required and where it will be placed. Also discussed is where the placement of the actual implant will be made. Keep in mind that these factors will have an impact on the final appearance of your breasts. The left pictures show before and after breast augmentation of a young woman with high-profile, 500cc silicone implants. Other pictures shown below were based on fat transfer breast augmentation method.

Breast Augmentation Recovery

fat grafted breast augmentation

You should be able to get back into routine within a week after surgery. You will want to keep in mind that it really depends on what it is that you are doing and the level of activity that is needed. You will wan to keep in mind that the scar will most likely be visible six weeks or even a few months. The scars will fade after some time.

Today, you’ll find that the implants are much safer and also the complication to the surgery has become severely reduced. There are always people trying to figure out how to improve on what they were given by using medicine and science to help them feel better about who they are and also learn to have confidence. If you are one of them please find a competent doctor in your area who has enough experience to perform this breast augmentation surgery.

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Tooth Discoloration – The Extrinsic Causes

By on Sunday, December 4th, 2011 | 1 Comment

Now let’s examine some of the extrinsic sources of tooth discoloration.

We can basically divide the extrinsic sources of color problems into two sub-groups. You can experience tooth discoloration based on issues related to the foods, drinks and other products you consume or as a result of shortcomings in dental hygiene.

Consumption: Certain foods and drinks can literally stain the teeth. People who regularly consume these items may experience tooth discoloration regardless of how well they brush and otherwise care for their smiles. While this list isn’t exhaustive, it may give you a good idea of whether your consumption habits have produced a less-than-white smile:

tooth discoloration

- Coffee
- Tea
- Dark soda pop
- Red wines
- Tobacco
- Soy sauce
- Berries
- Dark fruit juices
- Curry

It’s worth reiterating that these substances can create changes in the hue of your teeth regardless of whether you do everything else “right” in terms of caring for your teeth. That’s why it’s inaccurate to assume that those who don’t have a perfect smile have been somehow negligent with respect to dental care.

In some cases, however, neglect or incorrect dental hygiene can be the source of the problem.

Hygiene: Brushing and flossing isn’t just important as a means of preventing cavities. Good dental hygiene also prevents plaque build-up, which can become a source of tooth discoloration even after its removal. Having plaque on your teeth may create an unattractive smile, but simply getting rid of it via debridement or by making a commitment to improved self-care won’t always solve the problem. Your teeth may be discolored simply by its prolonged presence.

As you can see, there are many different causes of yellowed or browned teeth. In most individuals, a too-dark smile is probably due to a combination of multiple factors.

Regardless of whether the source of your problem is internal or external, whitening offers a solution. While there are cases where it’s simply impossible to brighten a smile to what the individual will consider an acceptable color, most can experience significant improvement in the appearance of their teeth.

Tooth Discoloration Treatment

Tooth discoloration can be treated with professional tooth whitening strategies which are recognized as safe procedures with few significant risks, such treatments may cost an arm and a leg but worth trying. Other cheaper ways are using OTC teeth whitening products and whitener toothpaste. In general OTC teeth whitener will give better results compared to the whitener toothpaste version. Whatever the choice is, learn the side effects they may caused you before trying to treat your tooth discoloration.

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