A partial knee replacement resurfaces only the worn compartment of the knee, most often the inner (medial) side, with a metal and polyethylene implant. The healthy cartilage elsewhere and all the ligaments, including the cruciates, are kept.
Because less is disturbed, recovery is faster and the knee tends to feel more natural and bend further than after total replacement. The price is a somewhat higher chance of another operation later, mainly because arthritis can progress in the parts that were left.
What Partial (Unicompartmental) Knee Replacement involves
Suitability is judged from standing X-rays, stress views or MRI, and examination of the ligaments. Through an 8 to 10 cm incision beside the kneecap, the surgeon inspects the joint to confirm that the other compartments and the anterior cruciate ligament are sound; if they are not, the plan changes to a total replacement. A few millimetres of bone are removed from the end of the femur and top of the tibia on the affected side using guides or a robotic arm. Trial components are used to balance ligament tension through the range of movement. The final metal components are fixed, usually with cement, and a polyethylene bearing sits between them.
Who is a good candidate for Partial (Unicompartmental) Knee Replacement?
Perhaps a quarter to a half of people needing knee replacement have arthritis confined enough to qualify.
- Bone-on-bone arthritis or osteonecrosis limited to one compartment
- An intact anterior cruciate ligament and stable knee
- Deformity that corrects when the knee is stressed, and less than about 10 to 15 degrees of fixed flexion
- Pain that you can localise to one side of the knee
- Any adult age; older and younger patients both do well when the pattern fits
It is usually not the right choice if:
- Inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid disease
- Significant wear in the other compartments or behind the kneecap with symptoms
- A torn or absent anterior cruciate ligament, in most designs
- Stiff knees or large fixed deformity
- Active infection in or around the joint
Technique options
- Medial unicompartmental replacement: By far the commonest type.
- Lateral unicompartmental replacement: For outer-side arthritis; technically different and done less often.
- Mobile versus fixed bearing: Both perform well. Mobile bearings carry a small dislocation risk; choice follows surgeon experience.
- Robotic-arm assisted: CT-based planning and a guided burr improve implant positioning accuracy; long-term benefit is still being measured.
- Patellofemoral replacement: A separate partial replacement for isolated arthritis behind the kneecap.
What happens during your treatment
The operation takes 60 to 90 minutes under spinal or general anaesthetic, with local anaesthetic infiltrated around the joint. You stand and walk with support the same day or next morning. Hospital stay is 1 to 2 nights.
Preparing for your trip
Plan for 12 to 14 days in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.
- Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
- Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
- Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
- Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly
Recovery and results
Most people use crutches or a stick for 2 to 3 weeks and drive at 3 to 4 weeks. Physiotherapy focuses on straightening fully and rebuilding the thigh muscle. Desk work is possible at 2 to 4 weeks, and walking, cycling, swimming and golf by about 3 months. Blood clot prevention continues for 2 to 5 weeks. Wait about 2 weeks and get clearance before a long flight.
- Back to everyday activity: 3 to 6 weeks
- When results show: Walking the same or next day; full benefit at 3 months
- How long they last: About 85 to 90 percent still in place at 10 to 15 years
Safety, risks and revision policy
Medical complications are fewer than with total knee replacement, while re-operation is somewhat more common.
- Progression of arthritis in the remaining compartments, needing conversion to a total replacement
- Loosening of the tibial component
- Bearing dislocation in mobile designs
- Infection, in under 1 percent
- Blood clots in the leg or lung
- Persistent unexplained pain on the inner side
- Fracture of the tibial plateau, rarely
Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.
Cost of Partial (Unicompartmental) Knee Replacement in Türkiye
Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Partial (Unicompartmental) Knee Replacement, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:
- Implant design and whether robotic assistance is used
- One knee or both
- Pre-operative MRI or stress X-rays
- Length of stay and physiotherapy sessions
Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Partial or total: which lasts longer?
National registries show higher revision rates for partials, though results from surgeons who do them frequently are much closer. Ask how many your surgeon performs each year.
Is converting to a total replacement later difficult?
Usually it is similar to a first-time total knee, occasionally needing small augments. It is simpler than revising a total replacement.
Can I kneel and do sport?
Many people can kneel, and low-impact sport is encouraged. Running and jumping sports are generally discouraged to protect the implant.