You will normally be offered a knee replacement if you have severe pain, swelling and stiffness in your knee joint and your ability to move the joint is significantly reduced.
A knee replacement is major surgery, so is normally only recommended if non-surgical options have not helped reduce pain or improve mobility.
Knee replacement may be considered for adults of all ages, although young, physically active people are more likely to wear out their replacement joint. As a result, knee replacement is typically recommended for older, less active people as the replacement joint is less likely to wear out and need to be replaced.
Most people who have a total knee replacement are between the ages of 60 and 80. They need to be well enough to cope with both a major operation and the rehabilitation afterwards.
The earlier you have a knee replacement, the greater the chance you will eventually need further surgery. However, there is some evidence that having treatment before the knee becomes very stiff leads to a better surgical outcome.
If you are having a knee replacement because of arthritis and also need a hip replacement, the hip should be replaced first as you will need a flexible hip to do the exercises that are necessary after a knee replacement operation.
