Dr. Sachin Bhonsle on Knee Replacement Surgeries.

Doctor Sachin Bhonsle,(MS (Orthopaedics, FRCS Glasgow, UK) Consultant Joint Replacement and Orthopaedic Surgeon Wockhardt Bone and Joint Care, Mumbai,India answers some most commonly asked questions on Knee Surgeries .

Doctor Sachin Bhonsle's surgical expertise includes Hip and Knee joint replacement surgery (Computer navigation),Knee reconstructive surgery,Arthroscopy of knee,Joint replacement and arthroscopy of shoulder , elbow and ankle

1. Evolution around knee surgeries in India over the years.

This decade has been very progressive for orthopaedics in India to the extent that we can call it an orthopaedic decade. A lot is now on offer to improve quality of life to those with arthritis and joint injuries. As late as 1980s most people with worn out joints had no choice but to lead an invalid life. There are very few surgeons in our country with resources to provide reconstructive joint surgery. Also to those few who could afford, the treatment options were limited as well as expensive. In late 80s Arthroscopic or keyhole surgery started gaining popularity in India. This was a boon to youngsters involved in sports. Around the same time Joint replacements became more readily available. This is when Indian companies started coming up with reliable prostheses. As we rolled into the third millennium standard knee and hip replacements were optimised in a number of cities and centres across the country.

2. Percentage of Indian undergoing Knee Replacements every year

This varies greatly compared to western countries. Reliable figures are not available but a vast majority of Indian patients tend to procrastinate on knee arthritis rather than having surgery. Knee tends to be most commonly replaced joint in India because of higher incidence of knee arthritis compared to hip in our subcontinent.

3. Who is a candidate for knee replacements?

Any person with a painful and irreparably worn out knee joint can be a candidate. There has been a classic approach to do it after the age of 60 because older prostheses tended to last only 10 to 15 years and revision surgery was difficult. But now the contemporary designs are long lasting, techniques are more refined and revision surgery facilities have been developed optimally. Therefore we contemplate doing joint replacements at much younger ages.

4. What advancements have been made in total knee replacements? Advancements in surgical methods and how it has been revolutionized over the years

• Advances in materials- Harder alloys like Oxynium, long lasting synthetics like ‘highly crosslinked UHMWPE’ and ceramics
• Advances in design – better understanding of mechanism of knee joint has led to designs like ‘rotating platform’, ‘high flex knee’ , ‘gender specific knee’, ‘uni compartmental and bi compartmental knees’
• Better instrumentation has made the operation more precise hence we can guarantee better long term outcome. Lot of engineering has been applied to this development. Computer navigation has provided icing on the cake by providing a further tool to get ultimate precision.
• Advanced surgical evolution has brought forward minimally invasive techniques to conserve the soft tissues and in effect provide a faster and much quicker recovery.
• Advanced surgical and anaesthetic protocols have ensured much better patient safety, infection control and pain relief. This has further ensured world class results and final outcomes allowing our patients to enjoy a normal lifestyle for years to come.

To know more about Bone and Joint care at Wockhardt Hospitals, or to schedule an appointment with Doctor Sachin Bhosel,please write to enquiries@wockhardthospitals.net