Total (full) knee replacement refers to the resurfacing of all three compartments of the knee; the inside, the outside, and the kneecap portions of the joint. However, rather than "replacing" the entire knee, knee replacement refers to resurfacing the articulating surfaces of the knee joint.

A metal cap goes on the end of the thigh bone, recreating the anatomy of the end of the femur. A plastic liner makes up the other side of the articulating surface, and is fixed to a metal tray which is secured to the top of the shin bone.  In this way, the knee joint is now metal, on plastic, on metal.  This replaces the bone on bone articulation which causes pain in knee arthritis. 

More generalized knee pain and diffuse arthritis patterns are best treated with total knee replacement. This in in contrast to isolated knee arthritis to one compartment which may be appropriate for partial knee replacement.  With total knee replacement, greater knee deformities and limb malalignments can be corrected with this procedure. Long-term studies have shown knee replacement to be one of the most reliable and durable orthopedic procedures available.

With my interest in multimodal pain management, I have been able to develop an outpatient, home same day, total knee replacement protocol for select patients.  These advances in pain and rehab protocols benefit all surgery patients, whether they go home the same day or next.

⇒ Read about patient's experiences after joint replacement at Sah Orthopaedic Associates in Testimonials, or see Patient's Stories after surgery to learn more. ⇐

Advancing the field with Technology in Orthopedics, I have thoroughly evaluated and subsequently chosen to work with some of the most innovative and revolutionary technologies in orthopedics.

• Computer navigation is commonly described in modern joint replacement procedures.  While not necessary in all cases, navigation is useful and available in select cases. 
• Wearable motion sensors can help engage patients during their recovery phase, providing reliable and accurate real-time feedback to both the patient and surgeon. 
• Dr. Sah is the only surgeon to have the ability to offer an  Apple Watch for patients to assist during joint replacement recovery. 
• Dr. Sah has done research on soft-tissue balancing sensors used during the surgical procedure to provide a more precise outcome. 
• Game Ready cooling therapy is commonly used by elite athletes and patients recovering from hip and knee surgery. 

Talk to Dr. Sah and his team to find out more, and to see if these technologies may benefit you.

Read a patient's experience with knee replacement in this article:

For more information, read the PDF below:

Knee Committees

• Co-Director, Institute for Joint Restoration and Research, Washington Hosp, 2012 – present
• Director, Outpatient Joint Replacement Program, Washington Hosp, 2014 – present
• Chair, Department of Orthopedics, Washington Hospital, 2012 - 2015
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Knee Program Committee, 2012 – 2016
• Progam Co-Director, VuMedi, Hip & Knee Program, SF Event, 2015
• VuMedi Webinar, Reducing Recovery Time in Total Joint Arthroplasty, Moderator, 2015
• Voting Panel Member, ACR-AAHKS Perioperative Management Guideline Group, 2015-16
• Voting Panel Member, AAOS-AAHKS Clinical Practice Guidelines on Surgical Management of Osteoarthritis of the Knee, 2016
• Faculty, Persona Total Knee Surgical Training Course, Phoenix, 2018
• Moderator, Persona Total Knee Bioskills Training Event, SF, 2017
• Faculty, Persona Total and Partial Knee Surgeon Education, Walnut Creek, 2017

Knee Presentations

• Alexander Sah, "Prospective Randomized Blinded Intraoperative Sensor-balanced TKA study assessed by wearable sensors", Poster at AAHKS Annual Meeting, Dallas, 2020
• Alexander Sah, "Is it Gender or Surgical Technique? A Prospective evaluation of femoral component sizing differences comparing two TKA implants of a single company", Poster at Orthopedics Today Annual meeting, Hawaii, 2020
• Alexander Sah "The future of knee arthroplasty rehab? Benefits of a wearable knee sensor for knee arthroplasty recovery to clinical outcomes and financial savings", Poster at Orthopaedics Today Annual Meeting, Hawaii, 2020
• Alexander Sah, "Making the transition to tourniquet free total knee arthroplasty", Presentation at Medtronic National Webinar, 2019
• Alexander Sah, "Is there risk to using the thinnest liner in primary TKA? Evaluation of knee range of motion, outcomes, and manipulation rates with the thinnest available liner", Poster at AAHKS Annual Meeting, Dallas, 2018
• Alexander Sah, "Updates in Knee Replacement- advances in surgical techniques and outpatient surgery", Presentation at PhysicalTherapy.com, 2018
• Alexander Sah, "What's new in joint replacement", Moderator Arthroplasty Section at COA Annual Meeting, SF 2018
• Alexander Sah, “Knee flexion at time of hospital discharge best indicates ultimate range of motion after total knee arthroplasty”, Poster at AAOS Annual Meeting, New Orleans, 2018
• Alexander Sah, “Knee Kinematics and Function”, Moderator at ICJR 3^rd Annual Pan Pacific Orthopedic Congress, Kona, Hawaii, 2016
• Alexander Sah, “Initial Experience with Next Day Discharge after Total Knee Arthroplasty", Presentation at ICJR 3^rd Annual Pan Pacific Orthopedic Congress, Kona, Hawaii, 2016
• Alexander Sah, “My top 5 Moves in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty”, Presentation at ICJR 3^rd Annual Pan Pacific Orthopedic Congress, Kona, Hawaii, 2016
• Contemporary Solutions for Joint Surgery, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2017
• California Orthopedic Association Annual Meeting, Laguna Niguel, 2016
• Contemporary Solutions in Joint Surgery, Newport Beach, 2016
• 3^rd Annual ICJR Pan Pacific Orthopedic Congress, Hawaii, 2016
• Center of Leadership, 2016-present
• West Regional Hip and Knee Reconstruction Meeting, SF, 2016