Knee Replacement Surgery
Northwestern Medicine offers replacement surgery for a broad range of knee problems, including:
- Arthritis (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis)
- Fractures
- Ligament injuries and tears
- Sports and work-related injuries
- Trauma
Knee replacement, also called arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure to resurface a knee damaged by arthritis. In knee replacement surgery, the weight-bearing surfaces of your knee joint are replaced with prosthetic joint hardware. During knee replacement surgery you can expect the following:
- The heads of both the thighbone (femur) and the leg bone (tibia) are removed
- Both ends of the bones are reshaped to accept metal fittings
- The new fittings are put in place, and a small plastic liner is inserted between the metal pieces to keep the joint moving smoothly
- A kneecap liner is put into place to prevent any friction on the new joint
The goal of knee replacement surgery is to resurface the parts of the knee joint that have been damaged and to relieve knee pain that cannot be controlled by other treatments.
Mako™ Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery
Mako technology can be used for partial knee replacement, which is a procedure designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis. By selectively targeting the part of your knee damaged by osteoarthritis, your surgeon can replace the diseased part of your knee while helping to spare the health bone and ligaments surrounding it. Learn more about Mako technology and how it works.
Locations Performing this Treatment
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Center for Comprehensive Orthopaedic and Spine Care at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
259 E. Erie St.Thirteenth FloorChicago, IL 60611place -
Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital
25 N. Winfield RoadWinfield, IL 60190place -
Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital
300 Randall RoadGeneva, IL 60134place -
Northwestern Medicine Orthopaedics Grayslake Outpatient Center
1475 E. Belvidere RoadPavilion C, Suite 185Grayslake, IL 60030placePhone 847.535.8500 -
Northwestern Medicine Orthopaedics Glenview Outpatient Center
2701 Patriot Blvd.Glenview, IL 60026placePhone 847.535.8500 -
Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital
1000 N. Westmoreland RoadLake Forest, IL 60045place -
Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital
1 Kish Hospital DriveDeKalb, IL 60115placePhone 815.756.1521 -
Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital Joint Center
1 Kish Hospital DriveDeKalb, IL 60115placePhone 815.748.2968 -
Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital
1302 N. Main St.Sandwich, IL 60548placePhone 815.786.8484 -
Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital Hip and Knee Replacement Center
10400 Haligus RoadHuntley, IL 60142placePhone 224.654.0000 -
Northwestern Medicine Orthopaedics Crystal Lake
420 N. IL Route 31Crystal Lake, IL 60012placePhone 815.356.5200 -
Northwestern Medicine Orthopaedics Huntley
10370 Haligus RoadSuite 201Huntley, IL 60142placePhone 815.356.5200
Meet the Teams

Related Resources
- Total Knee Replacement Handbook (English | Spanish)
- Central DuPage Hospital and Delnor Hospital Knee Replacement Guide (English | Spanish)
- Kishwaukee Hospital and Valley West Hospital Knee Replacement Guide
Related forms
Online resources
The content provided here is for informational purposes only, and was not designed to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, or replace the professional medical advice you receive from your physician. Please consult your physician with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons*
- American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons*
- American College of Rheumatology*
- Arthritis Foundation*
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development*
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)*
- National Library of Medicine*
- The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine*
Legal Information
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