Orthopedic surgeons at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, were the first in the United States to perform a minimally invasive procedure for partial knee replacement. Minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement requires an incision of just three inches, compared with 18 inches for standard total knee replacement surgery. Surgeons use a specially designed prosthesis and instrumentation that enables them to access the knee through the much smaller incision.

Because the procedure is less invasive, most patients are able to leave the hospital after just 24 hours instead of staying 4 or 5 days. They can expect to recover faster, with less physical therapy and fewer complications. And they experience greater mobility and better performance than with total knee replacement. The unicompartmental knee replacement may be an option for people with osteoarthritis or with post-traumatic arthritis as a result of a previous fracture or injury. This type of knee replacement is not recommended for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

For information about orthopedic surgeons at Rush who perform minimally invasive and standard joint replacement surgeries, see the links under “Find a Doctor,” at left.