Unicompartment Knee Arthoplasty (UKA)

Our knee comprises of 3 main parts including medial (inner), lateral (outer), and patellofemoral compartments.

In the past, only total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was commonly performed. All three knee compartment surfaces would be surgically removed and replaced by a knee implant.  

At present, studies show that knee osteoarthritis often starts in the medial compartment and later develops in the other 2 compartments. This brought about the concept of unicompartment knee arthoplasty (UKA) to replace only the diseased compartment.

The advantages of UKA

UKA is to surgically remove the damaged surface of the knee compartment and replace it with an implant. The advantages of UKA over total knee arthroplasty include a smaller incision, less postoperative pain, minimal blood loss, faster recovery and lower risk of postoperative complications and more natural knee kinematics.

However, UKA is not for everyone. Your doctor will take your medical history, perform a physical exam, and order knee X-ray to assess if UKA is suitable for you. Statistically, around half of the patients with knee osteoarthritis can undergo UKA.

Knee implants for both unicompartment and total knee replacement will be on hand in the operating room. Your doctor will assess and select the best treatment modality based on the intraoperative findings.

After surgery, can UKA patients resume daily activities like those who had TKA?

Patients who had UKA can do daily activities just like those with TKA and the knee kinematics is more closely approximate the patient’s previous knee.

Article by
Dr Waiwit Sanguanwongwan

Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in arthroplasty
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