Knee Replacement Medically reviewed by Thomas D. Ferro, M.D. in Oklahoma City, OK"

Potentially for decades. The biggest analysis of national joint registries to date found that a quarter century after surgery, about 82% of total knee replacements and 70% of partial knee replacements were still in place.[5] Getting the implant's position right is a key part of reaching that kind of lifespan.

It's one of the few factors a surgical team can directly control. Component position and balance both influence how long a knee replacement lasts,[2] so NanoKnee pairs advanced 3D modeling and engineering with FDA-cleared implants to plan exactly where your implant should sit and how it should be aligned for your anatomy.

NanoKnee is meant for people who need a knee replacement and would like to recover at home, keep living actively, and have an implant planned for their specific anatomy. It was developed for active patients looking for the best possible function afterward, including younger adults and healthy older adults. Your surgeon will review your imaging, health, history and goals at your consultation to see whether you're a candidate.

Serious complications are uncommon. Knee replacement ranks among the most widely performed and heavily studied operations in the country, with more than 4.4 million hip and knee replacements recorded in the American Joint Replacement Registry since 2012.[6] Some risks also depend on choices made before surgery even starts. Anesthesia is one example. In a national analysis of more than 380,000 joint replacements, spinal (neuraxial) anesthesia was associated with lower 30-day mortality and fewer in-hospital complications than general anesthesia.[7] Board-certified orthopedic surgeons perform NanoKnee procedures with spinal anesthesia and sedation.

Because not every healthy knee is built to the standard. A substantial share of adults naturally have knees that aren't in “neutral” mechanical alignment.[10] NanoKnee instead uses restricted inverse kinematic alignment (iKA), a personalized approach that restores your natural tibial joint line and alignment within safe limits. In a matched series, iKA patients reported greater satisfaction and higher Oxford Knee Scores at one year than patients aligned to an adjusted mechanical target.[11] Your plan is based on your CT scan and reviewed by your surgeon before surgery.

It could be, if arthritis has damaged only part of your knee. NanoKnee surgeons perform partial (unicompartmental) and bicompartmental knee replacement, which resurface just the affected one-third or two-thirds of the joint and preserve your ligaments and healthy bone. In a randomized trial of 528 patients with arthritis confined to the inner compartment, partial knee replacement produced equivalent improvement with fewer complications.[12][13] Your NanoKnee surgeon will discuss which approach matches your anatomy and knee condition.

If your arthritis is limited to one compartment, a Nano partial knee replacement is the least invasive, since it removes the least bone and keeps your ligaments intact.[12] When a total knee replacement is needed, planning and surgical approach make more difference than incision length. Thanks to advanced 3D modeling, NanoKnee surgeons can use a quadriceps-sparing approach for suitable candidates, reaching the joint without cutting the quadriceps tendon. Randomized trials show this lowers pain in the first days after surgery.[8]

No. NanoKnee surgeons rely on spinal (regional) anesthesia, a local anesthetic block and “twilight” sedation, which together keep you comfortable and unaware during the procedure without general anesthesia. A national analysis of more than 380,000 joint replacements linked spinal anesthesia to lower 30-day mortality and fewer complications than general anesthesia.[7] Your team will use general anesthesia only if it's the safer choice in your case.

Usually about two hours. NanoKnee knee replacement is an outpatient procedure, and in a meta-analysis of 20 studies, appropriately selected outpatients had complication and readmission rates comparable to inpatients.[9] Your surgeon will confirm ahead of time that a same-day return home is appropriate for you.

Plan on roughly 90 minutes. Your implant's size, position and alignment are decided during planning, so fewer judgments have to be made under time pressure once surgery is underway.

Most NanoKnee patients are walking within 90 minutes of surgery and doing light activities during the first week. A rough guide:

• 7–14 days: routine daily life
• 2–4 weeks: moderate exertion
• 4–8 weeks: an active lifestyle once more

Most NanoKnee patients recover at home. Instead of formal outpatient physical therapy, you'll follow a surgeon-guided exercise program that starts with walking, isometrics and stretching right away and advances to strengthening, biking, and activities like golf and hiking. The NanoKnee app helps you track progress and stay in contact with your care team.

Most NanoKnee patients get back to the activities they enjoy, whether that's tennis, golf, hiking, cycling, running or skiing.

Most NanoKnee patients regain the bend they need for daily life and sport, and many recover motion that arthritis had slowly taken away. Your 3D plan is built to balance your ligaments across the full range of motion, supporting a knee that fully bends and straightens. In our recovery-unit records, 720 NanoKnee patients had a median knee flexion of 125° right after surgery, with half falling between 120° and 134°.

Generally within two weeks, although you should continue protecting the area for the first two to three months. NanoKnee procedures use a cosmetic, plastic-surgical closure to help keep scarring minimal.

Possible risks include infection, blood clots, stiffness, instability, implant loosening over time, and complications related to anesthesia. NanoKnee's surgical processes and proprietary 3D Blueprinting® target specific risks: spinal anesthesia is associated with fewer perioperative complications than general anesthesia,[7] and pre-operative 3D planning focuses on the position and balance problems that rank among the leading causes of early revision.[1] Your NanoKnee surgeon will go over the risks that apply to your situation.

Most patients notice function returning and arthritis pain fading as the months go by. Some numbness around the incision and an occasional click are common and typically harmless. Your surgeon will keep track of your recovery and step in if anything isn't progressing as it should.

NanoKnee surgery is billed as a knee replacement, which Medicare and most commercial health plans cover when it's medically necessary. The pre-operative 3D planning and engineering aren't covered by insurance, so depending on your plan, you may be responsible for up to $8,500 of that cost. Our patient navigators will confirm what you'll owe before you commit to surgery, and financing is available for non-covered amounts.

Yes. Knee replacement is a common procedure for older adults with advanced arthritis, and it can bring big improvements in mobility and quality of life. Candidacy hinges on your general health, not your birth year, and every NanoKnee patient is evaluated before surgery. NanoKnee's standard spinal anesthesia is associated with fewer perioperative complications than general anesthesia.[7]

AI fits in only at the planning stage, where it helps our biomedical engineers build a 3D model from your CT scan; your surgeon then reviews and approves the plan. No robot is used in the operating room, and your surgeon performs the procedure. NanoKnee's precision is built during planning, not supplied by operating room technology.