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.

a. In general, your pain can be described as:
1. Mild but does not affect movement
2. Moderate and some difficulty with movement
3. Severe and great difficulty with movement  
4. Extremely severe and certain movements are impossible

b. Does your knee pain affect your sleep?
1. Never
2. Sometimes
3. Mostly
4. Every night

c. Are you able to perform your basic household functions?
1. Yes with very little difficulty
2. I cannot perform certain tasks
3. I can only perform some tasks
4. I am mostly dependent on others

d. Do you feel your knee is unstable or may give way?
1. No
2. Sometimes
3. Often
4. Always

e. While walking, how long does it take before you experience severe knee pain?
1. More than half an hour
2. 15-30 minutes
3. 5-15 minutes
4. Less than 5 minutes or instant pain with walking

f. Are you able to walk down a flight of stairs?
1. Yes, with little difficulty
2. Yes, with some difficulty
3. Sometimes I can’t
4. Most of the time I can’t

g. After sitting for a long time, describe the pain you experience on standing?
1. Mild, with little difficulty getting up
2. Moderate, with some difficulty getting up
3. Severe, with great difficulty getting up  
4. Extremely severe, requiring assistance to get up

h. Can you kneel down and get back up again?
1. I can with no difficulty
2. I can with some difficulty
3. I can but it’s very difficult
4. Impossible

i. While driving, entering and exiting a car or using other forms of transport, your knee pain is described as:
1. Mild
2. Moderate
3. Severe
4. Extremely severe