I had a traumatic injury to my left knee back when I was in my early 20s. Now in my early 40s, I have very bad arthritis on the inner side of the joint. Can I just have one side of my knee replaced? Or do I have to have the whole thing torn apart?

Unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) is possible today. The surgeon is able to remove the damaged joint on one side and replace it with an implant that just fits one side.

Most of the time, the medial compartment of the knee joint is the problem. That's the side of the joint closest to the other knee. The UKR is also available for patients with lateral compartment arthritis. This is the side away from the other leg.

With the right implant, you should have excellent results. Some implants work better for certain patients. Your surgeon will review your case carefully and choose the best replacement components.

You can expect the implant to last at least 10 years. Studies show that many people still have a good fitting, long-lasting implant up to 15 years or more. Revision surgery is needed if the implant comes loose, a bearing dislocates, or arthritis progresses to the other side of the joint.