“Growing knee joint problems in Nigeria are forcing them to seek suitable replacement option to live a healthier life. Experienced orthopedic surgeons from India are helping such patients by offering affordable surgery and proper counseling in their home country.”
https://www.medicoexperts.com/nigeria/orthopaedic

Knee Problems in Nigeria


Some study suggests that knee problems among Nigerians is on the rise in past few years, with osteoarthritis becoming leading reason for disability among 60-70% people aged beyond 60 years. One in five adults, who are above 40 years of age, living in rural Nigeria have some symptoms of knee osteoarthritis with 20% more female candidates than males. Besides, other forms of severe knee problems are prevalent among middle and old age individuals. It is observed that beyond a point, oral medication and other types of treatments becomes ineffective in turn making patient’s life difficult due to restrictive movements and frequent pains.


Causes and Treatments

At old age, parts of the knee bone joint get worn out and are unable to bear the body weight due to rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic or knee injury. Doctors advise knee replacement surgery to individuals who experience chronic pain in walking due to damaged knee joint. Sometimes the patient feels pain in rest position also. Once all alternative forms of medications such as physiotherapy, medicines physical exercises and weight loss become irrelevant; knee Replacement Surgery is the only hope for such patients. The procedure involves replacement of affected knee part such as shinbone, thighbone and kneecap with artificial implants. Orthopedic surgery procedure for knee replacement requires local or general anesthesia followed by an incision near the knee to replace the affected part and closure of the opening.


Knee Replacement Surgery

The knee replacement surgery is a complex procedure, which requires proper assessment of the affected part and patient health as the recovery period after the procedure is long. Sometimes, a gout, knee deformity and abnormal knee growth are also corrected by knee replacement surgery. Based on the assessment expert surgeons suggest a suitable procedure and implant to the patient.
The four main types of knee replacement surgery are:

Replacement of Kneecap Bone
In case the damage is localized to kneecap only, patello-femoral joint arthroplasty or patellofemoral replacement. The procedure is simple and patient can recover faster from this surgery. This surgery is not suitable for osteoarthritis candidates.

Total Knee Replacement (TKR)
Mostly TKR procedures involve replacement of the joint surface located at the end of femur bone along with the joint surface at upper part of shin bone. TKR may also include replacement of the under-surface of patella with a plastic dome.

Partial Knee Replacement
Normally this type of surgery is suggested for arthritis patient experiencing problem in one side of the knee.

Complex or revision knee replacement
Some patients require a repeat procedure for knee replacement on the same knee, which is called as revision knee replacement. This type of procedure needs experienced surgeon to perform the operation with high level of precision.

Artificial knee implants are made from metal alloys and the part that bear body weight is prepared with a high-quality, wear-resistant plastic material. This combination of metal-plastic implants is most commonly being used for knee replacement surgeries across the globe. A patient may choose an implant type based on his need and budget.


Knee Replacement in Nigeria

Inadequate medical infrastructure and lack of expert and experienced surgeons in Nigeria force patients to seek medical support outside the country. This adds to the cost and unnecessary travel to other countries. Since recovery period is long in knee replacement surgeries, the patients need to spend more on stay for recovery period after the procedure. But now patients seeking orthopedic procedures in Nigeria can avail the services offered by best Indian orthopedic surgeons in their home country. These expert doctors are acknowledged for their proficiency in knee replacement surgeries with a good track record across Nigeria and hundreds of patients are living a healthy life thereafter. Thanks to the dedicated healthcare networks, which are helping such patients to opt for their choice of doctors and procedures in Nigeria. This is further helping Nigerian patients to save lot of money and effort in undergoing any knee replacement surgery.