5 things to check before you opt for TKR – knee replacement surgery.

1. Have you been thoroughly clinically evaluated by the doctor?

Clinical examination is extremely important and cannot replace the investigations that have been done. Your doctor needs to check for mechanical instability by clinically examining you, the range of motion in the knee, all the signs of inflammation around the knee, and subluxation.

2. Have you had a thorough investigation by your doctor, including Weight-bearing X-rays of your knee?

The investigations have to be thorough and in most cases, we have seen that they are not done properly and just plain X-rays in a lying down position are not enough. So, just check if you have been advised to do Weight-bearing X-rays, which are X-rays of the knees in a standing position and, in most cases, also MRIs of both the knees.

3. Have you been told about your stage of arthritis?

Your clinician has a responsibility to explain to you the exact stage of arthritis, which is staged according to clinical as well as radiological findings. There are 4 stages of knee arthritis, ranging from grade 1, which is early, to grade 4, which is late. Mostly, total knee replacement is indicated only in advanced stages of arthritis, that is grade 4 plus.

4. Have you been advised to try all the conservative treatments, including physiotherapy?

Have you tried physiotherapy and all the other conservative measures, which include pain killers, cartilage booster supplements, exercises, braces, modifications in the shoes, and physiotherapy, before being advised to undergo a total knee replacement? It is important to try all the conservative measures for a considerable amount of time before being directed to major surgery like total knee replacement.

5. And most importantly, have you been given the option of trying out regenerative treatment for your condition?

Is your clinician who is advising you on total knee replacement aware of the availability and success of regenerative treatments being done for osteoarthritis? If not, you should be consulting a regenerative medicine specialist, especially for this.