What happens in a revision knee surgery?

In revision knee surgery, the surgeon removes the original prosthesis, cement, surrounding tissue and dead bone before inserting a new prosthesis. Revision surgery is much more complex and technically much more difficult than primary TRK, often because of the difficulty involved in removing the old prosthesis and also because there is a reduced amount of bone to place the new total knee into. If extra bone is required, bone grafts from a bone bank or artificial bone substitutes may have to be used. A custom prosthesis is sometimes needed.

What are the implants used in a revision TKR?

Essentially, revision TKR is similar to the primary TKR. The revision, however, needs to be able to deal with the probable loss of bone incurred during the removal of the original knee replacement. This is achieved by using metal blocks and stems, which attach to the main components and compensate for any loss of bone.

Read about total knee replacement implants .

What are some of the complications involved in the revision TKR?

Complications from the revision procedure are similar to those from the original joint replacement surgery. However, in general the success rate for revision surgery is lower than that of original joint replacement surgery because the bone is weaker and the prosthesis is more likely to loosen.

Some possible complications include:
•  Deep vein thrombosis
•  Excessive bleeding around the joint
•  Scarring
•  Infection
•  Loosening of the new prosthesis
•  Dislocation
•  Significant leg length discrepancy
•  Bone loss in the joint

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