Am I a Candidate for Knee Surgery?

Arthritis of the knee can cause pain and stiffness, making regular activities such as walking and bending difficult. As arthritis progresses, conservative treatments tend to lose their efficacy and more definitive treatment should be considered. Knee replacement surgery involves replacing worn or damaged joints with implants to reduce pain and improve movement. It provides excellent results for many and is usually performed on those above 60 but may also benefit young patients with certain conditions.

To help your doctor decide if knee replacement surgery is ideal for you, answer the questions below.

Am i a candidate for knee surgery?

• 1 In general, your pain can be described as:
  Mild but does not affect movement
  Moderate and some difficulty with movement
  Severe and great difficulty with movement
  Extremely severe and certain movements are impossible
• 2 Does your knee pain affect your sleep?
  Never
  Sometimes
  Mostly
  Every night
• 3 Are you able to perform your basic household functions?
  Yes, with very little difficulty
  I cannot perform certain tasks
  I can only perform some tasks
  I am mostly dependent on others
• 4 Do you feel your knee is unstable or may give way?
  No
  Sometimes
  Often
  Always
• 5 While walking, how long does it take before you experience severe knee pain?
  More than half an hour
  15-30 minutes
  5-15 minutes
  Less than 5 minutes or instant pain with walking
• 6 Are you able to walk down a flight of stairs?
  Yes, with little difficulty
  Yes, with some difficulty
  Sometimes I can’t
  Most of the time I can’t
• 7 After sitting for a long time, describe the pain you experience on standing?
  Mild, with little difficulty getting up
  Moderate, with some difficulty getting up
  Severe, with great difficulty getting up
  Extremely severe, requiring assistance to get up
• 8 Can you kneel down and get back up again?
  I can with no difficulty
  I can with some difficulty
  I can but it’s very difficult
  Impossible
• 9 While driving, entering and exiting a car or using other forms of transport, your knee pain is described as:
  Mild
  Moderate
  Severe
  Extremely severe