Are there any contraindications?
In some cases, patients may need a knee prosthesis, but surgery is not recommended or contraindicated. In such cases, other alternatives should be considered besides knee replacement surgery.
Some absolute contraindications of total replacement of the knee include:
- Knee sepsis: The infection should be solved first when the articulation is severely damaged and infected with a microorganism. Knee sepsis may compromise the healing of the tissues after surgery and increase the likelihood of complications.
- Remote infections: Some remote infections may become absolute contraindications, especially those of the respiratory system. Such infections make it more likely to undergo respiratory distress during surgery.
- Severe vascular problems: Circulatory issues should also be solved before surgery. Otherwise, oxygen saturation and circulation in the tissues may become compromised.
There are also relative contraindications. In these cases, doctors may still decide to go through surgery depending on the case. These contraindications include:
- Skin conditions: When the skin at the site of the surgery is compromised by psoriasis and other diseases, doctors may first decide to try different methods. It is not an absolute contraindication, however.
- A history of osteomyelitis in the knee: Osteomyelitis is a severe bone infection, and it may have sequelae in the knee articulation. In some cases, people with a history of this disease may not be candidates for knee replacement surgery.
- Obesity: Patients with overweight and obesity should try to lose weight before surgery, especially in cases of morbid obesity.
