Term: Knee Replacement Surgery

Glossary Definition

Last Updated: 2020-05-21

Definition:

In knee replacement surgery, parts of the knee joint are replaced with prosthetic components. The surgery is done by separating the muscles and ligaments around the knee to expose the inside of the joint. The ends of the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia) are removed as is often the underside of the kneecap (patella). The artificial parts are then cemented into place. The new knee typically has a metal shell on the end of the femur, a metal and plastic trough on the tibia, and sometimes a plastic button in the kneecap. Knee replacements often occur in the young due to injury and in older adults due to fractures, falls, and conditions associated with osteoarthritis.

Over time, knee replacement surgery is defined using different ICD procedure / CCI intervention codes, in any procedure / intervention field in the hospital discharge abstracts data.

In some cases, age restrictions (i.e.: age 40 and older) may apply to the definition.

NOTE: For fiscal years 1990/91 and 1991/92, a different ICD-9-CM procedure code (81.47) was used to identify knee replacement at Brandon General Hospital.

CAUTION: Procedure / intervention codes should be checked for every year of a study to ensure the appropriate codes are being used.

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