Severe arthritis restricts activities of daily living. Joint Replacement Surgery of the knees is a good solution for such conditions, says DR K H Sancheti, managing trustee of Sancheti institute adding that there is a requirement of 45,000 knee replacement surgeries per year.

The cost of the imported knee prosthesis is between Rs.70,000/- to 1,10,000/- and the total cost of the surgery could be between Rs 2 to 2.5 lakh. Till 2001 about 2000 to 3000 knee replacements per year were done in India. But now with the improved theatre conditions, facilities and proper instrumentation available the number has gone upto 15,000 per year.

However there are more patients who need the TKR surgery but cannot undergo the operation. Only about 10 per cent of the 45,000 patients who require knee replacement surgery can afford the cost of the imported knee replacement surgery, points out Sancheti.

The imported joints available do not allow deep flexion in the knee joint and also do not allow one to sit cross legged. The institute hence started working on designing the `Indus knee' since 2005. Studying the CT scan of knee on more than 100 patients, Sancheti calculated the average dimension of the knee of Indian patient and then designed 5 different sizes of knee joint. Till date some 800 patients have used the Indus Knee.

What is Arthritis?
Knee pain and stiffness often results from osteoarthritis (wear and tear of joint articular cartilage and bone), rheumatoid arthritis (an inflammatory joint disease) or an injury and poor alignment of your leg bones. With arthritis your articular cartilage cushion wears away, bones become rough and rub together causing pain. Your joint may also be inflamed and swollen. There are many conditions that can result in the degeneration of the knee joint: the most common is osteoarthritis or OA. Commonly known as "wear and tear", osteoarthritis can occur with no previous history of injury to the knee joint: the knee simply "wears out".

Although ageing is the factor strongly associated with OA, it is important to understand that OA is not a normal consequence of ageing. Osteoarthritis is a slowly progressive condition. However, previous injuries and consequent damage to articulating cartilage will result in "accelerated" osteoarthritis. There may be a genetic tendency in some people that increases chances of developing osteoarthritis.

Are You a Candidate for Total Knee Replacement?
* Do you experience pain while bearing weight on your knee?

* Do you limp?

* Does your knee become swollen with fluid?

* Are you experiencing a decrease in your range of motion?

* Is your ability to walk significantly reduced?

* Have you noticed that your knee deteriorated rapidly, in past six to twelve months?