Knee Replacement in Spanish

What it means

Knee replacement is a surgery to replace parts of the knee joint with new, artificial parts. During the surgery, a surgeon removes damaged cartilage and some bone from the surfaces of the knee joint and then attaches artificial parts made of metal and plastic. The surgery may replace all the damaged parts of the knee (total knee replacement) or just part of the knee (partial knee replacement). It is usually done when other treatments for knee pain have not helped enough, and knee osteoarthritis is the most common reason for it. The goal is to relieve pain and help a person move better. MedlinePlus also calls the surgery knee arthroplasty, and its encyclopedia article calls the artificial joint a prosthesis.

Spanish term: Reemplazo de rodilla
Gender and article: masculine: el reemplazo de rodilla
Pronunciation: rreh-ehm-PLAH-soh deh rroh-DEE-yah

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
artroplastia de rodilla	General	The name MedlinePlus en español gives under 'Otros nombres' on its knee replacement page.
reemplazo de la articulación de la rodilla	General	The longer form used in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia article on the same surgery.

Reemplazo de rodilla is the title of the MedlinePlus en español health topic, which defines it as una cirugía para cambiar partes de la articulación de la rodilla con partes artificiales nuevas. The noun is masculine: el reemplazo de rodilla, un reemplazo de rodilla. The same page gives artroplastia de rodilla under other names, and the encyclopedia article writes the longer reemplazo de la articulación de la rodilla. The two scopes of the surgery are reemplazo total de rodilla and reemplazo parcial de rodilla.

The encyclopedia article calls the artificial joint a prótesis, a feminine noun that the Spanish dictionary defines as a piece or device used to replace an organ or a limb of the body. Words MedlinePlus en español uses alongside the term are cartílago (cartilage), tibia (shinbone), fémur (thighbone), rótula (kneecap), fisioterapeuta (physical therapist), bastón (cane) and andador (walker). The MedlinePlus en español topic page describes the artificial parts as hechas de metal y plástico.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	The X-ray shows that the cartilage in your knee is worn away.	La radiografía muestra que el cartílago de su rodilla está desgastado.
Patient	The pain keeps me from sleeping, and I can hardly climb stairs.	El dolor no me deja dormir, y apenas puedo subir escaleras.
Clinician	The other treatments have not helped enough, so we can talk about a knee replacement.	Los otros tratamientos no han ayudado lo suficiente, así que podemos hablar de un reemplazo de rodilla.
Patient	Would it be a total or a partial knee replacement?	¿Sería un reemplazo total o parcial de rodilla?
Patient	What are the artificial parts made of?	¿De qué están hechas las partes artificiales?
Clinician	They are made of metal and plastic, and they give your knee new, smooth surfaces.	Están hechas de metal y plástico, y le dan a su rodilla superficies nuevas y suaves.
Patient	How long will I need a cane or a walker after the surgery?	¿Por cuánto tiempo voy a necesitar un bastón o un andador después de la cirugía?
Clinician	After the surgery you will learn exercises in physical therapy to make your knee stronger.	Después de la cirugía aprenderá ejercicios en fisioterapia para fortalecer la rodilla.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Knee Replacement
Spanish (Español)	Reemplazo de rodilla
Chinese (中文)	膝關節置換術
Korean (한국어)	슬관절 치환술
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Phẫu thuật thay khớp gối
Filipino (Tagalog)	Knee replacement
Portuguese (Português)	Artroplastia do joelho
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	การผ่าตัดเปลี่ยนข้อเข่า
Japanese (日本語)	膝関節置換術

Where you'll see it

operative reportsurgical consent formEOBbilldischarge summary

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Bones, joints and muscles

All terms in this area: Bones, joints and muscles — Huesos, articulaciones y músculos

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.