Knee Problems Common Among Elderlies, Awareness Needs To Be Raised
20 July 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) -- Knee problems are a common condition among elderlies as well as those with other comorbidities that heighten the risk of getting a knee condition such as osteoarthritis.
Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City’s Consultant Orthopaedic and Joint Replacement Surgeon Dr Suhail Suresh said public awareness of their knee conditions and the suitable time to do knee checks are still relatively low and should be raised.
“Patients who have mild symptoms of knee conditions, such as pain that goes beyond a few days, audible noise within knee joints every time they move, reduction in the ability to go up and down the stairs or walk in normal durations, are advised to consult a doctor to examine their knees and undergo an X-ray screening,” he told Bernama in an exclusive interview recently.
In fact, he said those who suffer from knee conditions may opt for a total or a partial knee replacement surgery, depending on the degree of the conditions.
“The knee consists of the outer, inner and front (also known as knee cap) parts. In total knee replacement surgery, all three (damaged) parts of the knee are replaced and installed with metal implants.
“Meanwhile, in a partial knee replacement surgery, only one part of the knee is replaced. The recovery rate for a patient who undergoes such a surgery is much faster than those of total knee replacement,” he said.
However, Dr Suhail said both partial and total knee replacement surgeries are only intended for those aged 50 and above and even then, only one in 10 individuals fulfil the criteria for a partial knee replacement.
He said this is because patients usually either show up with late presentation of existing knee conditions, wait until the knee joints are considerably damaged or did not know beforehand that they can seek a check-up on their knees at the sign of the slightest symptoms.
"On the other hand, certain conditions will indicate that one cannot go for partial knee replacement surgery, such as if the knee is tilted with any angulation of more than 10 degrees.
“Other causes include when one could only bend their knee up to 60 degrees and not more than 90 degrees, not to mention progressive knee conditions such as inflammatory arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis,” he explained.
Dr Suhail said that Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City has treated over 550 knee replacement patients using robotics technology, as well as being the first hospital in Southeast Asia to perform a partial knee replacement surgery with the ROSA knee system in May this year.
“Before this, we had to use a multitude of surgical tools to decide how much of the knee bone we need to cut, to shape the bone using the metal implants and to cut off the damaged cartilage.
“With ROSA, we are able to simplify the surgical process much more. Now, we perform X-rays during the consultation to calibrate the right size of implants to use. What used to be just purely planning is now planning and execution,” he said.
In the aspect of recovery and rehabilitation, Dr Suhail said partial knee replacement patients should be able to start walking the day after surgery and will subsequently need to follow up with him for up to one and a half months, including physiotherapy.
He said that partial knee replacement patients can be discharged from the hospital the next day or the day after since post-surgery risks are half less compared to a total replacement surgery, where patients are required to stay in the hospital for three to four days.
Regarding research and development into knee replacement surgery, Dr Suhail said most researches focus on the lifespan of the implants.
He said if a surgery was done well, in which the implant's position is right, accurate and alignment is within zero up to a maximum of three degrees of deviation, the implant will be able to sustain the knee anywhere between 15 to 20 years.
“With ROSA, the implants could last up to 30 years. This is why a knee replacement surgeon must have adequate training, experience and volume in performing surgeries like this,” he said.
In terms of current initiatives to increase awareness towards partial knee replacement surgery, Dr Suhail said that he and fellow knee joint surgeons usually get in touch with general practitioners (GP) and speak to them about partial knee replacement surgery, which they will then continue to educate patients and their family members in terms of the different procedures available.
“At times, we also organise roadshows through the Arthritis Foundation of Malaysia, the Malaysian Orthopaedic Association and Geriatric Association of Malaysia, among other non-governmental organisations (NGO) and we will continue our initiatives to educate the public,” he added.
Source: BERNAMA
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