India most joint pains can be attributed to either the Knee or the hip.

Interestingly almost 70 % of these pains are due to the knee. Only 30 % due to the hip. In Europe on the other hand the percentages are just the reverse.

(Image Source: Medicine.net)

Indians in general suffer from more knee problems due to the sedentary life styles and the proliferation of the services Industry has made things just worse. While looking for the actual numbers I found out that there were close to 80,000 knee replacement surgeries in India in 2012. The number today would have gone up significantly due to greater awareness and the availability of trained doctors and hospitals to perform the surgeries.

Knee replacements can be total knee or partial knee depending on serious the condition is, but regular exercise and focus on diet can help prevent this condition in most.

So what are the indications that you need a knee replacement surgery. Well according to an email reply from Dr Patil of the Nova Speciality Hospitals, the most common indications are

• Constant pain
• pain while walking
• while doing normal daily activities
• avoiding social occasions due to the pain

The last situation is very common and I do see many of my relatives avoiding social situations due to the pain. Last year for example Nova conducted almost 1046 Knee replacement surgeries.

Why is knee replacement necessary ?

The answer depends on how you rate the quality of your life. Most of us are ready to compromise with our health and limit our mobility in order to lead very limited lives. As we don’t indulge in too many physical activities and sports, it does not put our joints into play that often.

But if you do intend to lead a better life then probably knee replacement is the thing for you. While searching for the benefits of the surgery, I did come across this article in slide share and some of the points discussed very useful for us to make a decision.

There are certain contraindication and most of the are applicable to the people suffering from hypertension as they take blood thinners to reduce pressure in the flow. But for more contraindications it is best to contact your local physician before taking any decision.

In conclusion Knee replacements are expensive but the cost vs benefits ratio is clearly loaded on the benefits side. Do check this testimonials from the patients who have had the benefit of the surgery and now lead almost fully functional lives.