Useful resources

Trusted organizations and tools for patients, families, clinicians and hospital teams. These are independent sites: we have no relationship with them, and none of them pay to be listed. Your own care team is always the first place to go with questions about your treatment.

If you need help now

For a medical emergency, including chest pain or sudden shortness of breath, call 911.

Arthritis Foundation HelplineArthritis Foundation
Information and support for people living with arthritis, before and after joint replacement. Call 1-800-283-7800.

Learn about knee replacement

Trusted patient-education pages from surgeons' societies, major medical centers and the US government.

Total knee replacementAAOS OrthoInfo
A detailed overview from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, from candidacy to recovery.
Considering joint replacement surgeryAmerican Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
Patient videos and a hip and knee care library from the specialty society for joint replacement surgeons.
Knee replacementMayo Clinic
Why it's done, the risks, and what to expect.
Knee replacement (arthroplasty)Cleveland Clinic
A plain-language guide to the procedure and recovery.
Recovery after knee replacementHospital for Special Surgery
A practical recovery timeline from a specialty orthopaedic hospital.
Knee joint replacementMedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine
The government's encyclopedia entry, including preparing for surgery and recovery.

Support for patients and caregivers

Arthritis FoundationArthritis Foundation
Education, community programs and advocacy for people with arthritis.
Family Caregiver AllianceFamily Caregiver Alliance
Practical help for family members caring for an adult during recovery.

Costs, insurance and medical bills

Help with estimates, bills and coverage.

Medical bill rightsCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Your rights to a good faith estimate if you don't use insurance, and protection from surprise bills. Questions or complaints: 1-800-985-3059.
Patient Advocate FoundationPatient Advocate Foundation
A national nonprofit offering case management help with insurance, medical debt and access to care.

Finding a surgeon

Find a hip and knee surgeonAmerican Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
Search for joint replacement surgeons who are AAHKS members.

For clinicians and value analysis teams

Primary sources for checking evidence, registry data, regulatory status and safety reports.

AJRR Annual ReportAmerican Joint Replacement Registry (AAOS)
US registry data on hip and knee arthroplasty volume, techniques and revision.
PubMed: total knee arthroplastyNational Library of Medicine
Search the published knee replacement literature.
ClinicalTrials.gov: knee arthroplastyNational Library of Medicine
Recruiting, active and completed knee replacement trials.
FDA 510(k) premarket notification databaseUS Food and Drug Administration
Look up an implant's clearance number, date and cleared indications.
MAUDE adverse event databaseUS Food and Drug Administration
Device reports submitted to the FDA. Reports are unverified and can't be used to calculate rates.

Know a resource that should be here, or found a broken link? Email admin@kneereplacementexplained.com. Links checked October 2026.