“Early days” of partial replacement
Important Notice: Dr. Greg Jaroszynski does not perform partial knee replacements at this time. This information is provided for educational purposes only.
Partial knee replacement is not a new idea, but early designs and techniques were less reliable than modern versions.
Why early results were disappointing
- Initial attempts not very successful
- High failure rate of partial replacements of early designs
- High success of total replacement
Partial knee replacements have been around for over 50 years. They were developed at about the same time as the total knee replacements were being developed. The early designs of partial replacements were not very good. There was a significant rate of failure of partial replacements in those early days.
Why total knee replacement became dominant
At the same time, the total knee replacement was quickly proven to be a very good solution for an arthritic knee and so the surgeons were doing mostly total replacements. A few surgeons, however, continued to refine the design and surgical technique to arrive at what we have today.