Revision knee replacements have a life span of 10 to 15 years after which they tend to loosen.  When this happens, weight bearing cause pain in the knee and revision surgery is often required. The old components are removed and a new implant is inserted. Revision surgery is more challenging that replacing an arthritic knee the first time round.

The operation takes about 2 hours and recovery is slower. There is no limit to the number of times a knee replacement can be revised.