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10% discount for Benenden Health members

Benenden Health members are entitled to 10% off knee pain treatments over £1,000.

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Webinar: Knee osteoarthritis treatments (Arthrosamid® injections, standard and robotic knee replacement)

8 January at 6pm

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Matthew Oliver will discuss our range of treatments for knee arthritis, including Arthrosamid® injections, knee replacement surgery and ROSA robotic assisted knee surgery. We are the leading provider of private knee treatments in Kent (PHIN).

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About total knee replacement surgery

As you get older, you may suffer from knee pain due to arthritis or damage to the knee joint. This can affect your movement, causing pain and discomfort. It can also impact your sleep, work and exercise and affect how you feel, physically and mentally.

Private knee replacement surgery replaces your damaged or worn knee joint with an artificial joint, to reduce pain and improve quality of life. It can help you to return to a more normal lifestyle, free from pain. 

We’re the leading provider of private hip and knee replacements in Kent (PHIN, 2024), offering treatment in a calm and welcoming environment in a tranquil countryside setting. You’ll be supported by our experienced team of orthopaedic specialists and Physiotherapists to get back on your feet, fast.



How much does a private knee replacement cost?

View our self-pay treatment prices and discounts for Benenden Health members below.

Take advantage of payment plans through our trusted partner, Chrysalis, and spread the cost of your treatment. Fit your repayments into your monthly budget rather than having to find the full cost at the time of your treatment.

Procedure type
Initial consultation price
Treatment price*
Monthly cost**
Member discount
Standard knee replacement
£195
From £13,250
From £320.38
10%
Signature Knee
£195
From £14,273
From £345.12
10% (procedure only)
Robot-assisted (ROSA) Knee
£195
From £15,835
From £382.89
10%
Standard knee replacement
Initial consultation price
£195

Treatment price*
From £13,250

Monthly cost**
From £320.38

Member discount
10%

Signature Knee
Initial consultation price
£195

Treatment price*
From £14,273

Monthly cost**
From £345.12

Member discount
10% (procedure only)

Robot-assisted (ROSA) Knee
Initial consultation price
£195

Treatment price*
From £15,835

Monthly cost**
From £382.89

Member discount
10%

About treatment for knee pain

Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Matthew Oliver, talks about knee pain and the treatments we offer at Benenden Hospital (2 videos)
Video transcript

What is total knee replacement surgery?

Total knee replacement surgery is a successful operation used to replace the human knee joint when it's worn out due to osteoarthritis or from trauma that has caused it to wear out sooner rather than it should. It's a successful procedure, but it should only be done when the patient's knee is so painful that their quality of life is on the slide and their mobility is affected.

How long does a knee replacement last?

A total knee replacement hopefully will last at least 15 to 20 years. There are several variables that can determine the longevity of a knee replacement. They are out of everybody's control but everything being equal, it should last about 15 to 20 years.

What is total knee replacement surgery?

Total knee replacement surgery replaces your damaged knee joint with an artificial joint. A unicompartmental knee replacement, also known as a partial knee replacement, replaces only part of your knee with an artificial joint.

A knee replacement operation (arthroplasty) is usually only recommended after non-surgical knee treatments such as pain relief, therapy and muscle strengthening have been tried first. 

Do I need private knee replacement surgery?

A total knee replacement is recommended if your knee is badly worn and damaged, affecting your mobility and causing significant pain.

In a healthy knee, the surfaces of the joint are lined with cartilage which helps it move smoothly and easily without pain. When the knee joint surfaces become worn, your normal movement can become painful as the ends of the bones start to rub or grind together and the joint becomes stiff and inflamed.

There are many reasons why the joint lining can become worn or damaged:

Osteoarthritis in your knee

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition and is the most common reason for knee replacement surgery. This occurs when the cartilage wears down and the bones within the joint rub against each other. This leads to increasing pain and can restrict movement of the knee joint. Some patients also experience crunchy, creaky knees - especially when going up and down the stairs.

The bones may compensate by growing thicker and producing bony outgrowths to try to repair themselves. This can cause more friction and pain.

It’s estimated that about eight million people are affected by osteoarthritis in the UK. The main risk factors for developing osteoarthritis of the knee are:

  • Obesity
  • Being over 50 years of age
  • Previous knee injuries

Rheumatoid arthritis

This is where the body’s own immune system (the body’s defence against infection) affects the lining of the joint in the knee, resulting in stiffness and pain.

Traumatic arthritis

This results from a serious knee injury such as a fracture, ligament damage or meniscus tear. The impact of the accident also causes ‘mini trauma’ to the cartilage which, over time, develops into osteoarthritis which causes knee pain and stiffness. If non-surgical knee treatments such as muscle strengthening haven’t worked, you might need to consider a total knee replacement.

What causes damage to your knees?

In a healthy knee the surfaces of the joint are lined with cartilage which helps it move smoothly and easily without pain. When the knee joint surfaces become worn, your normal movement can become painful as the ends of the bones start to rub or grind together and the joint becomes stiff and inflamed.

There are many reasons why the joint lining can become worn or damaged:

Osteoarthritis in your knee

This occurs when the cartilage wears down and the bones within the joint rub against each other. This leads to increasing pain and can restrict movement of the knee joint.

The bones may compensate by growing thicker and producing bony outgrowths to try to repair themselves, this can cause more friction and pain. Osteoarthritis is the most common reason for knee replacement surgery.

Rheumatoid arthritis

This is where the body’s own immune system (the body’s defence against infection), affects the lining of the joint in the knee, resulting in stiffness and pain.

Traumatic arthritis

This results from a serious knee injury, such as a fracture, ligament damage or meniscus tear. The impact of the accident also causes mini trauma to the cartilage which, over time, develops into osteoarthritis which causes knee pain and stiffness. If non-surgical knee treatments such as muscle strengthening have not worked, a total knee replacement may be necessary.

If I suffer from arthritis in both knees, should I have a double knee replacement?

Replacing both knees together isn’t common practice and, at Benenden Hospital, we don’t operate on both knees at the same time.

A knee replacement is a major operation and can cause quite a lot of stress to the body. If you have underlying medical conditions, you may be at higher risk of complications during anaesthetic, breathing problems, heart problems or blood clots – so it’s better to minimise the impact on your body by doing one procedure at a time.

If you have severe arthritis of both knees, we’d do staged operations, with the worst knee first. Once you’ve recovered, at around six weeks, we’ll talk to you about planning to replace the other knee three to six months later.

What are the different types of knee replacement?

Knee replacements are either fixed to the bone with cement or are uncemented. Uncemented replacements rely on the body to grow bone into the knee replacement. After around nine months to a year, the knee replacement is fixed strongly to the bone.

A cemented replacement will be as strong as it’s going to be by the time the operation is finished.

What happens at a total knee replacement consultation?

Your Consultant will discuss your medical history and look at how well you move and the strength of your muscles. They’ll also view x-rays of the knee joint damage and look for exposed bone on bone in at least one knee compartment, before recommending the best course of treatment. Knee replacement surgery will only be recommended after you’ve tried non-surgical treatments such as changing your lifestyle, losing weight, taking pain relief or physiotherapy.

If you’ve agreed that total knee replacement surgery is the best treatment, your initial consultation might include tests and diagnostic imaging (x-rays or MRI scans). We may also be able to assess your fitness for anaesthesia on the same day, to reduce the number of visits you need to make to the hospital.

Your Consultant may recommend that you start an exercise programme to strengthen your muscles around the knee joint and increase flexibility before surgery as this can shorten recovery time after your operation.

Senior couple are walking their dog through a public park in Autumn.

ROSA Knee System for total knee replacement

We’re delighted to announce that we’re now offering Zimmer Biomet’s ROSA Knee System for your knee replacement.

The ROSA Knee System is a robotically assisted surgical system which provides a personalised plan, based on the unique anatomy of your knee. It doesn’t replace your skilled Surgeon but can assist them in placing your new joint with increased accuracy.

About your knee replacement surgery

Explore expert insights on total knee replacement surgery with Mr. Matthew Oliver, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at Benenden Hospital (3 videos)
Video transcript

What are the different types of knee replacement?

The various types of knee replacement include the unicompartmental knee replacement, and that's used to replace just one compartment of the human knee joint. Usually, the medial or inside compartment.

You can also get the lateral unicompartmental knee replacement, but that's used less frequently. To be able to use those two knee replacements, the disease needs to really be isolated to those two compartments.

The second type of knee replacement is the total knee replacement, and that's used when two out of the three at least compartments of the knee are worn out. It also gives the surgeon the option to replace the patella as well and that deals with all three compartments of the knee.

Benenden also has the ROSA robotic surgical tool which is used to help the surgeon perform total knee replacement surgery. ROSA stands for robotic orthopaedic surgical assistant and it’s a useful adjunct for the surgeon. It helps the surgeon plan the operation pre-operatively and intraoperatively to provide, hopefully, a more accurate, comfortable total knee replacement.

What happens during knee replacement surgery?

So total knee replacement surgery is an operation where the patient is sedated and anesthetised with a spinal anaesthetic. The knee is opened up and the worn-out surfaces are removed using instrumentation. This resurfaces the human knee joint with a metal femoral component and a tibial base plate that was just placed at the top of the shin bone or tibia bone in between the two. A plastic insert is fitted which acts as the new cartilage for the knee joint. The knee joint itself is balanced by your own natural ligaments.

How long does knee replacement surgery take?

The time a total knee replacement takes to be carried out depends on the complexity of the problem beforehand. But the average time is usually about an hour.

What happens during knee replacement surgery?

The surgery is usually carried out under a spinal anaesthetic. This is when an anaesthetic is injected into your lower back (between the bones of your spine) making the lower part of the body numb so you do not feel the pain of the operation and can stay awake. During your spinal anaesthetic you may be fully awake or sedated with drugs that make you relaxed but not unconscious.

Your surgeon will make a midline incision into the knee through which they'll perform the surgery. The worn bone will be removed and an artificial joint implanted and fixed with bone cement. The wound will be closed with absorbable sutures or skin clips and a pressure dressing applied.

After surgery we’ll move you to our recovery room for observation until you’re ready to return to the ward, where you’ll be looked after by our experienced nursing team. Your Consultant will advise when you can start your recovery with our expert physiotherapy team.

How long does a knee replacement take?

A total knee replacement operation typically takes no longer than two hours, including anaesthetic, but it’ll depend on the complexity of the operation, the severity of your arthritis, and your physique or build.

After your knee replacement surgery

Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Matthew Oliver, talks about what to expect after your total knee replacement surgery, including recovery (4 videos)
Video transcript

How long does it take to recover from a knee replacement?

A total knee replacement is a painful procedure, and the recovery is a lengthy one. The first six to eight weeks is tough going. It is uncomfortable and you need to really work hard on getting a range of motion in your artificial knee. Whilst the wound at the front of the knee heals up. So, it's absolutely essential that you have good pain control and a good quality physiotherapist. Full recovery can take up to about a year, but life returns to relative normality by about three months, usually.

How soon after a knee replacement can I drive?

After approximately six weeks, you can drive after receiving a knee replacement.

Can I run after a knee replacement?

So, activities following knee replacement depend on how well you've recovered from the operation and the range of motion you've achieved and the strength you've managed to attain in your leg. After about two months or so, it is hoped that you'll be able to get back to activities such as swimming, cycling, doubles tennis, squash. Some even get back to going to more athletic pursuits like skiing, but that's at their own personal risk. With regard to running, I wouldn't advocate this. However, it is known that some go for short jogs.

Can I kneel after a knee replacement?

Kneeling after a total knee replacement is a personal choice. I personally wouldn't advise it, but I know it has been done and you need to make sure you pad out the floor before kneeling on it.

How long does it take to recover from a knee replacement?

How long it takes to recover will vary depending on your general health and fitness and the type of knee surgery you’ve had. We’re advocates of the Rapid Recovery Protocol; a multi-disciplinary approach which includes the Anaesthetist, Physiotherapists, Surgeon and nursing staff. We use this approach to minimise pain and help you recover as quickly as possible.

Your hospital stay

As a rule, you’ll spend two to three days in hospital and during that time your knee will be sore. You’ll have a large protective dressing on your knee, and you may have a drain to remove blood from your wound.

While you're staying with us, any pain will be controlled with the medication. You’ll be cared for by a highly skilled team of nurses and visited daily by our physiotherapy team who’ll help you regain your mobility through carefully planned exercise.

Going home

We’ll only let you leave hospital once we're happy that it’s safe for you to do so. We’ll give you a frame or crutches to start with and you'll be shown how to safely go up and down the stairs. After about a week most people can walk independently with sticks.

Your recovery

For the first two weeks, while the metal clips and staples are holding the wound closed, your knee might feel a bit bruised.

By six weeks, most people have turned the corner; the pain is still there but less intense. You may be able to cope on less strong painkillers. You should be able to walk around at home, or outside briefly, and drive your car for a short distance. You must continue to do your exercises in order to keep your knee replacement moving. We’ll invite you back to the hospital and see one of the Orthopaedic Surgeons to make sure that the wound has healed, and you have a good range of motion in your knee.

By three months, when you come back to the clinic, you’ll be able to feel the benefit of the operation. However, it may take another six months to make a full recovery and return to your normal activities. Following your Consultant’s advice on how to look after your new knee and sticking to the exercises given to you by your Physiotherapist are important aspects of the recovery process, and it's important to follow their guidance.

Can I use a gym vibration plate after knee replacement?

If you don't have any pain from the knee replacement then once the knee replacement has fully settled down, it’s fine to use a vibration plate. However, if the muscles around your knee become aggravated, and you start feeling pain when using the vibration plate, you should stop.

The best exercises to do at the gym following a knee replacement are ones that build up the thigh muscles, the quadriceps and the hamstrings. These will help keep the knee replacement stable in the long term.

Our knee replacement surgeons

Mr Chipperfield

Alex Chipperfield

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Mr Chipperfield's specialties include hip and knee replacement, revision hip and knee replacement, and more.

Mr Dunnet

William Dunnet

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Mr Dunnet's specialities include hip surgery, patella realignment and lower limb procedures.

Mr Goddard

Richard Goddard

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Mr Goddard's specialties include total knee replacement and Signature total knee replacement.

Mr Mark Jones

Mark Jones

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Mr Mark Jones is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon who specialises in knee replacement and knee surgeries.

Mr Oliver

Matthew Oliver

Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon

Mr Oliver's specialties include patient specific knee replacement, enhanced recovery protocols and Dupuytrens disease.

Mr Reddy

Kumar Reddy

Associate Specialist Surgeon

Mr Reddy specialises in total hip and knee replacements, revision joint replacements, ACL reconstruction, and more.

Mr Thakur

Raman Thakur

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Mr Thakur's specialties include hip and knee replacement, ACL reconstruction and general orthopaedics.

Make an enquiry or book a consultation

Call us to find out more. You can also book an initial consultation for knee pain with an Orthopaedic Surgeon by choosing Hip or knee pain consultation then Knee pain consultation on our online booking tool.