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Tell the story
Dr. Morton starts with what happened, what has changed, what you have already tried, and what you need your body to do again.
Partial knee replacement
Partial knee replacement when only one part of the knee is worn out.
Partial knee replacement can be a great option for the right knee, but it is not for everyone. The important question is whether your arthritis pattern, ligaments, alignment, and pain all match.
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Board-certifiedFellowship-trainedFAAOS / FAAHKSRobotic hip & kneeRevision expertiseHawaii roots
How the visit works
You should leave with a clearer plan than when you arrived.
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Look at the source
Your exam and imaging help separate arthritis, injury, implant problems, referred pain, and other causes that can feel similar.
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Choose the next step
The plan may be therapy, bracing, injections, orthobiologics, arthroscopy, robotic surgery, revision workup, or a clear reason to wait.
Before you book
The first visit is better when the story is organized.
Joint Replacement Hawaii has always asked practical questions before the appointment because the details matter: what hurts, where it hurts, what you have tried, and what life activity you want back.
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What are you having trouble with?
Getting in and out of a car
Getting up from a chair
Stairs
Walking long distances
Pain at night
Exercise, sports, or work
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What are you noticing?
Swelling
Instability or giving way
Stiffness or limited motion
Catching or locking
Grinding
Difficulty bearing weight
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What have you already tried?
Physical therapy
Brace, cane, walker, or crutches
Steroid or gel injections
PRP or BMAC questions
NSAIDs or Tylenol
Prior arthroscopy or surgery
Before you decide
The conversation I want patients to understand.
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When I usually discuss it
Partial knee replacement comes up when pain is mostly on one side of the knee and X-rays show arthritis limited to one compartment.
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What we check
We check the ligaments, alignment, kneecap joint, arthritis pattern, stiffness, pain location, and whether the symptoms match the images.
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Why the decision matters
A partial knee can feel more natural for the right patient. For the wrong patient, a total knee may be more reliable. We will compare both honestly.
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What would make partial knee replacement fit
Partial knee replacement is most reasonable when arthritis is truly limited to one compartment, the ligaments are reliable, motion is acceptable, and the pain location matches the imaging.
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What would push us toward total knee replacement
Arthritis in multiple compartments, inflammatory arthritis, major deformity, ligament problems, or pain that does not match one compartment may make total knee replacement more reliable.
How I think through the recommendation
The decision should be explained, not handed to you.
Patients should know what would make us wait, what would make treatment reasonable, what might require more testing, and what changes recovery planning.
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What may make us wait
- Pain is not yet limiting life every day
- Arthritis pattern does not match symptoms
- Therapy, bracing, or injections still have a clear role
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What may make surgery reasonable
- Bone-on-bone pain limits walking, stairs, sleep, or work
- X-rays and symptoms point to the same problem
- Non-surgical care is no longer holding up
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What may mean more tests
- Sudden swelling or injury
- Locking, giving way, or possible ligament injury
- Painful old knee replacement needs infection or loosening workup
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What changes recovery planning
- Range of motion and swelling risk
- Home help, stairs, walker use, and therapy access
- Travel from another island or caregiver availability
Knee decision guide
Knee pain needs the right source, not a rushed answer.
Knee pain may come from arthritis, meniscus injury, ACL instability, tendon pain, referred pain, or a prior implant. The diagnosis guides the next step.
Think about 01
Try the right nonsurgical care
Therapy, bracing, medications, injections, PRP, BMAC, and activity changes can help the right patient.
Think about 02
Compare partial and total knee
Arthritis pattern, ligaments, alignment, pain location, and goals decide whether partial knee replacement is realistic.
Think about 03
Use robotics or revision workup when it fits
Robotic planning may help with selected knee replacements. Painful implants need old records and a careful revision evaluation.
For informed patients
The details matter, especially when the decision is not simple.
If you are comparing surgeons, robotics, revision care, injections, or recovery plans, these are the questions I want you to feel comfortable asking.
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Partial, total, or not yet
Informed knee patients need to know why a partial knee, total knee, injection, brace, or waiting makes sense.
Weight-bearing X-raysLigament and alignment reviewRecovery tradeoffs
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Robotics with context
Robotics may support planning and alignment, but it does not replace motion, swelling control, and therapy after surgery.
Planning toolSurgeon-led decisionsRecovery still matters
Patient words
The trust signal should match the decision.
Patients are looking for listening, clear explanations, office kindness, and a plan that makes sense for their specific problem.
Patient trust
Knee patients want to know if it is time.
Most people are not looking for a sales pitch. They want to know whether injections, therapy, partial knee, total knee, or robotic planning makes sense for their knee.
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Partial and total knee replacement guidance
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Robotic-assisted planning when it fits
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Recovery help for swelling, motion, golf, hiking, and walking
You may be ready to schedule if
Pain mainly on one side of the knee
One-compartment arthritis on imaging
Stable ligaments and appropriate alignment
Questions about partial versus total replacement
Pain is mostly on one side of the knee
You want a careful partial-versus-total knee comparison
You want to understand robotic planning for partial knee replacement
Why patients choose this practice
Big Island-raised orthopedic care for Hawaii families
Board-certified, fellowship-trained hip and knee reconstruction training
Friendly, practical guidance from consultation through recovery
Partial, total, robotic, and revision knee options can be compared in one visit
Recommendations are based on symptoms, exam, imaging, health, and goals
Robotic technology is explained as a planning tool, not a promise
If surgery is not the right next step, that should be clear too
Older patients and caregivers
Older patients and caregivers deserve a clear plan too.
Safety, medications, stairs, rides, hearing, memory, home help, and caregiver questions can change the recommendation and the recovery plan.
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Who should come with you
Bring the person who helps with medications, rides, meals, stairs, wound checks, or remembering instructions. A second set of ears helps.
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How to plan home safety
Think about loose rugs, bathroom setup, stairs, lighting, pets, walking aids, shower safety, and where you will sleep the first few nights.
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When to call the office
Call for worsening wound redness, drainage, fever, severe swelling, a fall, medication confusion, or symptoms that do not match your instructions.
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When not to wait
Chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, stroke-like symptoms, major deformity, or dangerous symptoms need emergency care.
Helpful to bring
X-rays, MRI, CT scans, or reports if you already have them
Where the pain starts, where it travels, and what it stops you from doing
Prior injections, therapy, medications, braces, or operations
Your goals for work, walking, golf, hiking, sports, travel, and recovery
Make the visit count
Bring the story, not just the scan.
Imaging helps, but the story matters too: what changed, what you tried, what failed, and what life you want back. This is especially important for revision opinions, prior surgery, and neighbor island travel.
Recovery preview
Start the knee replacement recovery guide
A knee-specific guide for swelling, motion, therapy, pain control, and return to life.
Swelling control
Range of motion
Therapy milestones
Patient questions
Questions I hear in the office.
Is partial knee replacement less surgery?
It can be a smaller operation for the right patient, but candidacy is limited.
What if arthritis is in more than one area?
Then total knee replacement may be the better discussion.
Can a partial knee need revision later?
Yes. Like any implant, it can wear out or need revision in some situations.
Why not choose partial knee replacement for everyone?
Because it only works well when the arthritis pattern, ligaments, alignment, and symptoms fit. The wrong partial knee can disappoint.
Mahalo
You do not have to figure this out alone.
If pain, injury, arthritis, or an old implant is keeping you from life, bring your questions. Dr. Morton and the team will help you understand the problem and the next step.
Written for patients by the practice
Orthopedic guidance should be clear enough to help you make a real decision.
Dr. Paul Norio Morton created Joint Replacement Hawaii to help patients understand hip pain, knee pain, arthritis, sports injuries, robotic joint replacement, revision surgery, injections, and recovery before they come in for a visit.
