Arthrosis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is the most common joint ailment among Chileans. According to the 2007 Clinical Guidelines of the Chilean Ministry of Health, with increasing age a general "wearing down" of the joints can be observed in a large number of individuals. Approximately 80 percent of the x-rays of people over 60 years of age show alterations in at least one joint. In particular, knee joint arthrosis is the main cause of loss of mobility among women.

As a consequence of age -but also of stress and strain on the joint- the smooth cartilage tissue layer is increasingly worn off, resulting in impairment of the sliding joint function. At first, the problem can be treated with physiotherapy and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, some cases are so advanced that joint replacement surgery is the only alternative, a procedure which Clínica Alemana orthopedic surgeons have been performing for over twenty years.

Dr. David Figueroa

Dr. David Figueroa, chief orthopedic surgeon of the Knee Team at Clínica Alemana, indicates that knee replacement has become more frequent with time. He points out that, "ten years ago, less than thirty procedures of this type were performed at Clínica Alemana in a period of one year. Now, we perform approximately eighty every year, including total knee replacements, revisions, tumors, as well as medial, lateral and palletofemoral replacements."

One of the reasons of this increase is the improvement in knee prostheses design. In addition, unicompartmental arthroplasty (UKA), also called partial knee replacement, is an option for some patients who have wear confined primarily to one compartment (lateral, medial or palletofemoral). UKA allows the knee to quickly recover its functionality.

Knee joint replacement usually eliminates pain, thus radically improving the quality of life of patients, who are able to walk again and even practice some low-impact sports. According to Dr. Figueroa, "patients are usually able to walk with the aid of two canes only two days after surgery. Then, they typically undergo several weeks of physical therapy to restore motion, strength, and function. Total recovery is expected three to six months later."

Knee replacement surgery is most commonly performed in people over sixty years of age and should be considered only when conservative treatments have been exhausted. Knee joint replacement is also an option to correct significant knee joint or bone trauma in younger patients. "We have implanted total and partial prosthesis in 37-year-old patients as well as in people over 80 years of age," explains Dr. Figueroa. This procedure may also be performed to treat other knee diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, in which the synovial membrane produces chemicals that destroy joint cartilage.

Dr. Figueroa concludes that "we are very close to obtaining the same results as large international institutions with similar standards. According to studies based on criteria such as functionality, pain relief, stability and lack of complications, we have achieved a 90 percent success rate. Another indicator is the time in which the prostheses remains in the knee without become lose (prostheses survival rate). We have seen that 90 percent of our implants remain in place for a period of 15 to 20 years."

Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Phone: +56-2-2101014