Total Primary Knee Replacement at Sporthopaedicum in Berlin

Total primary knee replacement (total knee endoprosthesis / total knee arthroplasty) at Sporthopaedicum Berlin is indicated when knee osteoarthritis involves at least two, and typically all three, compartments of the knee joint, making partial replacement strategies insufficient. In line with the joint-preservation logic used in surgical planning, limited wear patterns are addressed first with compartment-specific procedures; a total knee prosthesis becomes the appropriate option once the degenerative damage extends beyond a single compartment. For a primary total knee replacement, the joint surfaces are fully resurfaced via a skin incision typically 15-20 cm, with an operative time commonly 50090 minutes. Contemporary knee prosthesis designs replace primarily the destroyed cartilage-bearing joint surface while preserving the native ligament system as far as possible, and the construct includes a metal femoral component and a polyethylene (plastic) insert. Fixation of the tibial component is typically cemented, with cemented fixation described as superior to cementless anchoring in terms of durability in knee endoprosthetics and advantageous for potential future component exchange by reducing bone loss at removal. A minimally invasive total knee technique is also described, with the main differentiator being a reduced incision length of about 9-12 cm and an approach that avoids detaching the extensor musculature, enabled by specialized, smaller instrumentation. This technique is associated with faster early mobilization while maintaining the alignment principles required for long-term prosthesis survival, and long-term results are comparable to those of conventional techniques.