Partial Knee Replacement
When arthritis has worn out only one part of the knee, a partial replacement resurfaces that part and keeps the rest of your own joint. Planned with the MAKO robotic arm, in Port St. Lucie and Palm Beach Gardens.
What is a partial knee replacement?
The knee has three compartments: the inner (medial) side, the outer (lateral) side, and the joint behind the kneecap. Arthritis does not always wear them evenly. When the damage is confined to one compartment, a partial knee replacement resurfaces that compartment and leaves the rest of the knee alone, including the cruciate ligaments.
Because less is removed, a partial knee tends to feel more like your own knee, and recovery is usually quicker than after a total replacement. The trade-off is that fewer people qualify, and if arthritis later spreads to the rest of the knee, a second operation may be needed.
Who is a candidate?
Arthritis in one compartment
Most often the inner (medial) side, confirmed on X-ray and examination.
Pain you can point to
Pain that sits on one side of the knee rather than all the way around it.
Ligaments that still work
A knee that is stable, with the ligaments, including the ACL, still doing their job.
Conservative care has run its course
Therapy, injections, bracing and activity changes no longer keep the pain under control.
If the wear has spread across more than one compartment, a total knee replacement is the better operation, and Dr. Matarazzo will tell you so.
How the MAKO robotic arm is used
Dr. Matarazzo is MAKO-certified and performs MAKO partial knee replacements. Before surgery, the MAKO system builds a 3D model of your knee from imaging, showing where the cartilage has worn and where the implant should sit. During the operation the arm holds him to that plan. The robot does not operate; the surgeon does.
With only one compartment being resurfaced and the ligaments left in place, implant position is a large part of the job. That is the part the robotic arm helps with. More on MAKO knee replacement, and Dr. Matarazzo’s own explanation of how MAKO robotic knee replacement works.
Partial, total, or neither?
MISHA Knee System
For early to moderate arthritis on the inner side. Nothing is removed, and a replacement stays available later. About MISHA.
Partial knee replacement
For arthritis confined to one compartment. That compartment is resurfaced and more of your own knee is kept.
Total knee replacement
For wear across the joint. The whole joint surface is replaced.
The partial vs. total knee replacement article compares the two in more detail, and the knee arthritis page covers the non-surgical options that come first.
What to expect
- An exam and imaging review to see how many compartments are worn
- A 3D plan of your knee, built before the day of surgery
- Dr. Matarazzo performing the operation, with the robotic arm holding to the plan
- Walking with support, for most people, on the day of surgery
- A structured rehabilitation plan, because that is what decides the result
- Follow-up at whichever office is closer to you
FAQ
Common Patient Questions
Possibly, if your arthritis is confined to one compartment of the knee, your ligaments are stable and non-surgical treatment has stopped working. An exam and imaging decide it.
Neither is better in general. A partial keeps more of your own knee and usually recovers faster. A total is the right operation when the wear is spread across the joint, and it carries a lower chance of a second operation later.
Usually shorter than after a total knee replacement. Most people walk with support on the day of surgery, and activity comes back in stages on a rehabilitation plan.
Dr. Matarazzo is MAKO-certified and performs MAKO partial knee replacements. He performs the operation himself; the robotic arm holds him to a plan built from your own anatomy.
A partial knee replacement can be converted to a total knee replacement if the rest of the joint wears out later.
Coverage depends on your plan. Once a treatment plan is set, our staff verify your benefits with your carrier and walk you through what is covered before you commit.
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MAKO Robotic Knee Replacement
MAKO Robotic Knee Replacement →Knee Arthritis
Knee Arthritis →MISHA Knee System
MISHA Knee System →Where You’d Be Seen
Partial knee replacement in Port St. Lucie & Palm Beach Gardens
Dr. Matarazzo sees patients for this at both offices — Port St. Lucie (1100 SW St. Lucie West Blvd., Ste. 105) and Palm Beach Gardens (11380 Prosperity Farms Rd, Ste 204). Patients travel in from Stuart, Jensen Beach, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, North Palm Beach and West Palm Beach — see every area we serve, or call 561-202-8886.