Knee replacement surgery happens while you’re asleep under general anesthesia. Your Elite knee replacement doctor makes an incision along your knee to expose the joint.

Your surgeon removes damaged cartilage and a small amount of underlying bone from the ends of your thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia), then replaces the removed cartilage with metal implants. They may also resurface the kneecap (patella) with a plastic implant.

Your surgeon inserts a spacer made of medical-grade plastic between the metal implants. Then, they move your knee through its full range of motion to make sure it glides smoothly and close the incision with stitches.