Partial Knee Replacement Surgery

Overview

When Is a Partial Knee Replacement Needed?

Partial knee replacement surgery is usually considered when other treatments — such as medication, physiotherapy, or lifestyle adjustments — have not provided sufficient relief from pain or improved your ability to move comfortably.

This type of surgery involves replacing only the inner (medial) or outer (lateral) compartment of the knee, rather than the whole joint. It is typically recommended for patients with osteoarthritis that is limited to a single compartment of the knee, while the rest of the joint remains healthy.

The decision to proceed with surgery is never taken lightly. It follows a thorough assessment, which typically includes a physical examination, X-rays, and, where needed, further diagnostic imaging to confirm that the wear is genuinely confined to one part of the knee.

It's important to understand that a partial knee replacement is a major procedure and isn't the right choice for everyone. Mr Barkatali will carefully consider a range of factors — including the severity and location of your symptoms, your age and general health, and your activity levels — to determine whether partial knee replacement is the most appropriate option for you.

The Procedure - What to Expect

Partial knee replacement resurfaces only the damaged part of the knee, leaving healthy bone, cartilage, and ligaments untouched. It's suitable when arthritis is limited to just one of the knee's three compartments:

• Medial tibio-femoral compartment (inside of the knee)
• Lateral tibio-femoral compartment (outside of the knee)
• Patello-femoral compartment (behind the kneecap)

By treating only the affected area, this more targeted approach often results in a knee that feels more natural — many patients say it simply feels like "their own." It's also a smaller operation with less disruption to the joint, so recovery is typically quicker than with a total knee replacement — though careful preoperative planning remains just as essential to a safe, successful outcome.

Another key benefit is flexibility: a well-functioning partial replacement can delay the need for a total knee replacement, sometimes for a decade or more. If the implant eventually loosens, or arthritis develops elsewhere in the knee, a total knee replacement becomes the next step — and because less bone was removed initially, this conversion is usually more straightforward than revising a total knee replacement.

The main trade-off is predictability — partial replacements are more variable in how long they last compared to total knee replacements. That's why choosing a surgeon experienced in this specific technique matters, giving you the best chance of a long-lasting, well-functioning result.

Mako Robot Assisted Partial Knee Replacement

Mr Barkatali adopted Mako robotic-assisted surgery in 2023, as part of his continual effort to embrace the most up-to-date, evidence-based techniques and improve the reproducibility of patient outcomes. He has now performed over 150 Mako-assisted cases, with excellent results.

How it works

Before surgery, a CT scan creates a detailed three-dimensional map of the patient's own knee deformity. During the operation, this is combined with live data recorded directly from the patient's knee — including its actual range of movement and degree of deformity — which the surgeon uses to plan an accurate correction. The robotic arm then assists in making the planned bone cuts with a level of precision that's difficult to achieve by eye and hand alone. The prosthesis itself is still implanted manually by Mr Barkatali, just as in conventional surgery.

Mr Barkatali's gold standard for partial knee replacement

For partial (unicompartmental or patellofemoral) knee replacement, Mako is his default technique. These procedures are even more sensitive to accurate bone resection and precise prosthesis placement than a total knee replacement, and in his experience, results with Mako have been excellent across all forms of partial replacement.

The benefits of a robotic approach

Across his own cases, Mr Barkatali has observed a number of advantages to using Mako for knee replacement:

• Greater accuracy — the robotic arm enables precise bone cuts and implant placement, supporting more reproducible alignment and correction of the deformity.
• Less tissue trauma — the precision of the technique can reduce disruption to surrounding tissues, which may contribute to less post-operative pain, reduced blood loss, and less scarring.
• Faster recovery — patients often report a quicker return of range of movement and function, alongside the potential for a shorter hospital stay.
• Greater patient confidence — knowing that the result is more likely to be reproducible matters to patients facing what can be a daunting operation, particularly given how inconsistent outcomes from knee replacement can sometimes be reported.

Mako can be used for total knee replacement, partial (unicompartmental) knee replacement, and patellofemoral replacement.

Outcomes

• 20+ years of experience
• 150+ partial knee replacements performed
• 99.3% success rate

* National Joint Registry data over 10 years