As your knees wear out, their shape may change. Depending on whether the inside or outside wears out more, you may go knock-kneed or bandy legged. However before you reach this stage, there are many things that orthopaedic surgeons can do for you. As with other worn joints; weight loss, physiotherapy, anti-inflammatories - Ibuprofen (Brufen) or Diclofenac (Voltarol), painkillers – Paracetamol or Co-Codamol, swimming and gentle exercise with a stick are all useful. In clinic, a steroid injection can be useful. Sometimes an arthroscopic washout and clean-up (debridement) are useful, in fact done early, this can stave off knee replacement for up to a year.

When the time comes for knee replacement, you’ll know. Your knee will be stiff and sore in cold or damp weather. You will be taking maximal doses of anti-inflammatories and painkillers. Your sleep will be disturbed; you may already be using a pillow between your legs to get relief. You may only be able to walk a mile or less. These are good signs that something needs done.

The knee replacement that I use is called the AGC Replacement. This is one of the safest, most widely used and most trusted knee replacements used in the UK. It has excellent results, even as long as fifteen years after the original operation. It is one of the very few replacements recommended by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence – the Government’s Health Watchdog).

The operation itself takes about an hour and a half. You will come into hospital, the day either before or on the morning of your surgery. When you wake up after the anaesthetic, you may feel a little groggy but you will experience very little discomfort because of the modern anaesthetic techniques used. The scar on the front of your knee will be about 6 inches (15cm) long. You will rest in bed for about a day. We will give you medication to keep your blood thin and avoid a blood clot in your leg – a deep venous thrombosis or DVT. You will be out of bed with assistance on the second day. All your drains and tubes will be out by then as well. You will be walking about on sticks by day four or five. Sometime by day, five you are fit to go home, although this can take a few extra days sometimes!

Your stitches or clips can be removed by your own GP or practice nurse at ten to fourteen days. You will come back to see me at about six weeks. You will not me able to drive yourself until then. By six weeks, you should be walking with only one stick. By three months, you should be walking independently. You will need to see me on a yearly basis thereafter for an x-ray and check-up.

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