Patients may need arthroplasty surgery when their knee has significant enough problems that they suffer during physical activity or can’t accomplish basic daily tasks.

Patients who go through a knee replacement surgery anticipate that they will have increased mobility and improved quality of life. The use of cement in these replacement surgeries has been around for several years.

A growing number of patients have reported bone cement complications to their doctors after undergoing a total knee arthroplasty surgery, however. According to these patient complaints, the bone cement degrades to the point that it fails to remain attached to the bone.

Bone cement is an integral part of a knee replacement, but if that cement breaks down, loosening could cause pain and degradation of the whole device.

The recipient of the knee replacement device might experience a range of problems. Some of the most common bone cement complications include a limited range of motion, instability and difficulty walking, persistent or new pain, loosening of the knee implant, and swelling.

Another possible complication is bone cement implantation syndrome. Side effects of this condition include death, blood clots, low blood pressure, oxygen deficiency, and unexpected loss of consciousness.

Some recipients of bone cement used in knee replacement surgery feel that the risks outweigh the benefits.

Bone Cement Technology

According to Health Day, the injection of a calcium-based cement into the bones of people with hip pain is being evaluated by researchers at Ohio State University as a possibility to avoid joint replacement surgery.

The cement in this procedure known as subchondroplasty is used to brace an injured or bruised joint bone from the inside, which will eventually be replaced by new bone as the body heals.

According to Arthritis-health, this procedure is popular because it is less invasive than a hip or a total knee replacement surgery and is performed on an outpatient basis. However, as many patients continue to lodge complaints directly with their physicians about the breakdown or defects of this bone cement, those individuals contemplating going through knee replacement surgery should evaluate all of their options carefully.

Joint replacement treatments can include cemented or cementless prosthesis. A cemented joint prosthesis uses a bone cement that sets quickly in order to affix it to the bone. A cementless joint prosthesis is textured specifically to allow the bone to grow on to it and to adhere to it overtime.

A patient who is in need of knee replacement surgery will likely have a conversation with their surgeon about the option to use cemented, cementless or a combination of the two. Some of the patients who have chosen to file lawsuits against device makers as a result of bone cement complications argue that they were not properly informed about the risks.