Resurfacing is replacing part of the cartilage of a joint with an implant.

trochlear implant

 

Most of the joint remains original

Resurfacing generally implies less bone loss than a partial knee replacement but - especially when talking about the contact surfaces between patella and femur - sometimes they may mean the same thing. So, for example, in a partial knee replacement of the patellofemoral joint, the back of the patella is resurfaced and the groove of the trochlea of the femur is resurfaced. The rest of the knee remains intact.

Synonyms: 
Patellar replacement
Patellofemoral replacement
Joint resurfacing
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Dr Sheila Strover (Editor)
BSc (Hons), MB BCh, MBA

See biography...