Concierge orthopaedics · UK
Partial knee replacement - replace the worn third, keep the rest.
When arthritis is confined to one compartment of the knee - as it is in roughly one patient in four - resurfacing just that compartment means a smaller operation, a faster recovery, and a knee that feels more like your own. We arrange assessment by high-volume knee surgeons who do partials weekly, with robotic-assisted options across our network.
Why patients choose us
- 01
Surgeons who do partials every week
Registry data is blunt: revision rates for partial knees halve in high-volume hands. Our panel is limited to knee surgeons with substantial annual partial-knee numbers.
- 02
Partial only when it fits - honestly
Around one in four arthritic knees genuinely suits a partial. Careful stress X-rays and ligament assessment decide - and when a total is the better operation, we say so plainly.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation - partial, total, osteotomy, or no surgery yet - is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What a private partial knee replacement costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner orthopaedic units. Send your X-rays and we quote firm figures across two or three surgeons, with cover checked.
In short
Partial knee replacement in our network: £12,000–£16,500, walking the same day.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knee surgeon consultation | £250–£400 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Weight-bearing and stress X-rays | £150–£300 | 20 min | Same visit |
| MRI knee (borderline cases) | £450–£800 | 30 min | Report in 48 h |
| Partial (unicompartmental) knee replacement | £12,000–£16,500 | 60–90 min | 1–2 nights or day-case |
| Robotic-assisted partial knee replacement | £14,000–£18,500 | 75–100 min | 1–2 nights |
| Patellofemoral replacement | £12,500–£17,000 | 60–90 min | 1–2 nights |
| Total knee replacement (for comparison) | £14,000–£19,000 | 90–120 min | 2–3 nights |
Prices vary by hospital, surgeon and implant, and by whether robotic assistance is used. A package should include the implant, hospital stay, anaesthetist and initial physiotherapy - we check the small print so a “from” price does not grow. NHS waits for knee replacement commonly run many months to over a year; we quote firm figures within one working day.
The problem
The right operation, the right surgeon, and selection you can trust.
Partial knees fail for reasons decided before theatre - offered to knees that need totals, done by surgeons who do three a year, or never offered at all. We fix all three.
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A quarter of knees, not all of them
Partials excel precisely when selection is strict. Stress X-rays and ligament checks decide - enthusiasm does not.
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Volume halves revision risk
Registry data is unambiguous: surgeons doing partials weekly revise far fewer. That statistic is our selection policy.
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The option too rarely offered
Many suitable patients are simply never told a partial exists. A second opinion before a total knee costs nothing and can change the next twenty years.
The journey
From enquiry to recovery - what happens, in order.
One team from first message through suitability assessment, theatre, and the rehabilitation that makes the implant feel like your knee.
Phase 1 · Before your surgery
Imaging, suitability and prehab
Phase 2 · On the day
Theatre and same-day walking
Phase 3 · After
Physio, reviews, back to life
- 01
Before
You tell us what is going on
A short, confidential form. Where the knee hurts, what it stops you doing, treatments tried, and any X-rays or scans you already have.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether your pattern sounds partial-suitable, the right surgeon, and an indicative price across two or three options.
- 03
Before
Suitability confirmed on imaging
Weight-bearing and stress X-rays confirm single-compartment wear, intact ligaments and correctable alignment; MRI settles borderline cases.
- 04
Before
Prehab and preparation
Pre-assessment checks, quadriceps “prehab”, skin and dental screening - the unglamorous work that lowers infection and speeds recovery.
- 05
On the day
Admission and surgery
Spinal or general anaesthetic, 60–90 minutes in theatre, often robotic-assisted. Local anaesthetic infiltration means most patients stand and walk the same day.
- 06
On the day
Home fast
Day-case or one to two nights. Full weight-bearing immediately, crutches for comfort for a week or two, and a physiotherapy plan in hand.
- 07
After
Rehab and review
Physio from week one, wound check at two weeks, X-ray review at six. Most people drive at 3–4 weeks, walk without aids by 4–6, and feel the knee “disappear” over months.
Typical end-to-end: 3–5 weeks from enquiry to surgery. Walking unaided: 4–6 weeks. Feeling fully natural: 3–6 months.
When it helps
When a partial knee is the right operation.
The patterns we see most, plus the one red flag after surgery that needs urgent review rather than reassurance.
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Pain on the inner side of the knee
Medial compartment arthritis is by far the commonest pattern - pain localised to the inside of the joint, worse on standing and walking.
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Arthritis confined to one compartment
X-rays showing bone-on-bone in one compartment with the rest preserved - the anatomical case for replacing a third, not the whole.
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A stable knee with good movement
Intact cruciate ligaments and a knee that still bends well - the functional requirements that make a partial work for decades.
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Pain behind the kneecap
Isolated patellofemoral arthritis - pain on stairs and rising from chairs - suits a patellofemoral replacement in selected patients.
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Injections and physio exhausted
When weight management, physiotherapy, braces and injections no longer hold the line, resurfacing the worn compartment is the logical next step.
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The younger, active patient
Partials preserve bone and ligaments, keep more natural movement, and make any future revision more straightforward - attractive trade-offs at 55.
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Osteonecrosis of one condyle
Spontaneous osteonecrosis (SONK) destroying a single femoral condyle is a classic partial-knee indication when caught before collapse spreads.
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Red flag: hot, swollen implant with fever
A red, hot, increasingly painful replaced knee with fever is infection until proven otherwise - same-day contact with the team or A&E, never antibiotics from afar.
Procedure options
One knee, three compartments - and several honest options.
What each option involves - and how a partial compares with the total knee replacement you may also have been offered.
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Medial unicompartmental replacement
The workhorse - resurfacing the inner compartment, around 90% of all partials. Excellent, durable results in well-selected knees.
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Lateral unicompartmental replacement
The rarer outer-side equivalent, technically distinct and best concentrated in surgeons who do it regularly.
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Patellofemoral replacement
Resurfacing the kneecap groove alone for isolated patellofemoral arthritis - a small, targeted implant in the right pattern of wear.
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Mobile- and fixed-bearing designs
Two established implant philosophies with comparable outcomes in experienced hands - your surgeon will explain their choice and their numbers.
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Robotic-assisted partial knee
Robotic platforms plan and execute bone cuts to sub-millimetre targets. Evidence shows more accurate positioning; registry survivorship differences are still maturing.
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Total knee replacement
The right operation when arthritis involves multiple compartments or the ACL is gone - more predictable for widespread disease, at the cost of a bigger recovery.
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High tibial osteotomy
Realigning the leg to unload the worn compartment - the joint-preserving alternative for younger, active patients with early single-sided wear.
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Staying non-operative
Weight loss, structured physiotherapy, braces and judicious injections - still worth optimising, and occasionally enough to shelve surgery for years.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of knee surgeons, we picked them.
Consultant knee surgeons across London and the major UK cities, chosen on registry outcomes rather than marketing. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every knee surgeon in our network.
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Knee surgeons with high annual partial-knee volumes and registry-tracked revision rates
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Robotic-assisted platforms available where evidence supports their use
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Enhanced-recovery pathways - same-day walking, day-case capability, structured physio
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Honest total-vs-partial counselling, with stress X-rays and ligament assessment as standard
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards - honestly.
Partial knee replacement recovers faster and feels more natural than a total - and carries a somewhat higher chance of needing revision one day. Both halves of that sentence belong in honest consent.
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A smaller operation, genuinely
Less bone removed, ligaments preserved, less blood loss and a shorter stay than total replacement - most patients walk within hours.
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Pain relief and function
Around 9 in 10 patients get substantial, lasting pain relief; partial knees consistently score higher than totals for feeling “natural”, kneeling and stairs.
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Infection
Deep infection affects well under 1% - lower than total replacement. Skin, dental and diabetes checks beforehand exist to keep it that way.
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Clots
DVT and PE are recognised risks of any knee replacement; mechanical and drug prophylaxis are routine, and early walking is itself protective.
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Revision, honestly quoted
Registry data shows partials are revised more often than totals - roughly 10–15% by 15 years overall, but markedly lower in high-volume hands. Volume is why our panel looks the way it does.
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Arthritis can progress elsewhere
The untouched compartments can wear in later years - one reason careful selection matters, and the commonest reason a partial is eventually converted to a total.
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Conversion is straightforward-ish
If revision is ever needed, a partial usually converts to a standard total knee - an easier operation than revising a failed total. Bone preserved now is options preserved later.
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The timeline, realistically
Driving at 3–4 weeks, desk work at 2–3, most sports (golf, cycling, doubles tennis) by 3–4 months. Swelling and warmth grumble on for months - normal, and worth knowing.
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Red flags after surgery
Calf pain or breathlessness, a hot swollen joint with fever, or a wound leaking beyond the first days need same-day contact - every patient leaves with the direct number.
Reading your operation note
Your operation note in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whether your partial was conventional or robotic-assisted, the note the surgeon sends you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Implant names, sizes and angles read like a parts catalogue - we translate them for you.
If you would like us to talk you through your operation note or your six-week X-ray before your review, just ask.
- 01 Header
Diagnosis, compartment and approach
Which compartment was replaced and why, the anaesthetic used, and whether the procedure was robotic-assisted.
- 02 Technique
Implant and alignment detail
The implant brand, sizes and bearing type, plus the alignment achieved - the data your national joint registry entry is built from.
- 03 Findings
The rest of your knee
The state of the other compartments and ligaments seen at surgery - the honest forecast for how long this knee should serve.
- 04 Impression
Rehab plan and review dates
Read this first: weight-bearing status, physio milestones, wound care, clot prophylaxis doses, and when X-ray review is booked.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Partial knee replacement is routinely covered by UK private medical insurance for symptomatic arthritis that has failed conservative care, including robotic-assisted surgery in most policies. We confirm cover and secure authorisation before anything is booked.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about partial knees.
Quick answers on suitability, partial vs total, robotics, longevity, recovery and cost.
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What is the difference between a partial and a total knee replacement?
A total replacement resurfaces the whole joint and removes the anterior cruciate ligament; a partial resurfaces only the worn compartment - usually the inner third - and keeps both cruciates and all healthy cartilage. The result is a smaller operation, roughly half the recovery time, and a knee more patients describe as feeling natural. The price is a somewhat higher lifetime chance of revision.
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Am I suitable for a partial knee replacement?
Roughly one in four patients needing knee replacement is. The requirements: arthritis genuinely confined to one compartment on weight-bearing and stress X-rays, intact cruciate ligaments, a correctable deformity and reasonable movement. Age and weight matter less than they once did. A surgeon who does partials weekly can tell - which is the assessment we arrange.
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How long does a partial knee last?
National registry data shows around 85–90% of partial knees still in place at 15 years overall - and meaningfully better than that from high-volume specialist units, where survivorship approaches total-knee figures. If revision is ever needed, a partial usually converts to a standard total knee rather than complex revision surgery.
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Is robotic surgery worth it?
Robotic platforms demonstrably improve the accuracy of implant positioning, and early registry signals for robotic partials are encouraging, though long-term superiority is not yet proven. Where our partner surgeons use robotics, it typically adds £1,500–£2,500. We present it as it is: a precision tool in good hands, not a substitute for surgeon volume.
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How quick is the recovery, honestly?
Most patients walk the day of surgery, go home within a day or two, drive at three to four weeks and walk unaided by four to six. Desk work resumes at two to three weeks. The knee keeps improving - swelling settling, trust returning - for six to twelve months. It is a genuinely faster course than a total, but it is still a joint replacement, not a scope.
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How much does a private partial knee replacement cost?
Typically £12,000–£16,500 all-in - implant, hospital, anaesthetist, initial physio - rising to £14,000–£18,500 with robotic assistance. A total knee runs £14,000–£19,000 for comparison. Insured patients are routinely covered. We quote firm package figures across two or three surgeons within one working day.
Related treatments
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Knee arthroscopy
Keyhole surgery for mechanical knee problems.
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Arthritis
Understanding the condition behind the pain.
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Physiotherapy
Prehab and rehab that shape your result.
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All tests & procedures
Every test and procedure we arrange.
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