Total vs. Partial Knee Replacement by Dr. Lonner
Often referred to as an arthroplasty, knee replacement surgery is a procedure that removes the arthritic surfaces of the bones around the knee and caps the ends of the bones with smooth, polished, durable implants.
Depending on what type of knee replacement you may be having, different structures in your knee may or may not have to be removed. For instance, in the case of a total knee replacement, the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, damaged joint cartilage, and menisci (shock absorbers) are removed and substituted by the implant.
The medial and lateral collateral ligaments and tendons around the knee are typically left intact for all knee replacement procedures, except in unusual circumstances.