A unicompartmental knee replacement is a partial knee replacement. This is an option for some patients who have osteoarthritis of the knee. Your consultant may recommend this option if arthritis has affected only a single compartment (inside, outside or front) of your knee.

If only one ‘compartment’ of your knee is affected, your consultant may decide on a partial knee replacement rather than a complete knee replacement

You may have a unicompartmental knee replacement if you have arthritis in your knee.

During this procedure, the damaged compartment will be replaced with a metal or plastic joint, whilst the healthy bone and cartilage in the rest of the knee are retained. In most cases it offers quicker recovery, less pain following surgery and less blood loss. Many patients also report that because they still retain part of their bone and cartilage, the knee replacement feels more natural than a total knee replacement.

TBC