Partial Knee Replacement
During partial knee replacement (also called unicompartmental knee arthroplasty), Dr. Plummer makes a small incision on the front of the knee, along the kneecap to reveal the knee joint and arthritic degenerative bone. Patients with arthritic bone limited to only one area of the knee joint are candidates for partial knee replacement. Because of the limited arthritic bone, Dr. Plummer carefully only replaces the arthritic parts of the knee while leaving the healthy parts of the knee untouched.
Once the arthritic bone is removed, Dr. Plummer uses sizer tools in increments of millimeters to measure the patient’s bone and determine the perfect-fit partial knee components. Once the optimal sizes are determined, Dr. Plummer attaches the final metal components to the bone. He then places a special type of plastic liner, called highly-crosslinked polyethylene, between the metal components of the partial knee replacement. This plastic liner acts as cartilage and facilitates smooth and fluid movement of the knee.
In many patients, a robotic partial knee replacement may be an option. To learn more, click here.
Partial Knee Replacement 
Partial Knee Replacement X-Ray