Washington Health launches its new podcast series on July 16, with John T. Dearborn, MD, founder and medical co-director of the Institute for Joint Restoration and Research (IJRR), discussing revolutionary improvements in partial knee replacement.
For patients with arthritis limited to one side of the knee, partial knee replacement has been the reasonable alternative to total knee replacement for decades. Durability of the available devices has been a limiting factor, however, potentially requiring conversion to total knee replacement after several years. What has changed? The FDA’s recent approval of the use of the uncemented Oxford mobile bearing partial knee in the United States. With the introduction of this technology into the U.S. market, the British outcomes data for the Oxford implant has reached the public eye, showing outcomes as good—or better—than total knee replacement beyond 20 years. Dr. Dearborn is specially trained and has done more than 150Oxfordpartial knee replacements since September 2025.
In the podcast, “Advanced Approaches to Partial Versus Total Knee Replacement,” Dr. Dearborn and Alisa Curry, a physical therapist and Rehabilitation Services director, will bring the community up to date on the new procedure, which they call dramatic and revolutionary. “A lot of people have been inquiring about partial knee, so we wanted to explain the differences in an understandable and accessible way,” says Dr. Dearborn.
The podcast drops on the Washington Health YouTube channel July 16, at 8 a.m., and will be easily accessible on phone, laptop, or other mobile device. Following the initial presentation, it will be added to the Washington Health YouTube library at YouTube.com/@washington_health.
“A patient’s decision to have a partial knee procedure is based on improved outcomes. An Oxford partial replacement is as durable as a total knee replacement, and it feels more like a normal knee,” says Dr Dearborn, who is also the founder and medical director of the Peninsula Surgery Center. “It’s a big win.”
Partial Implant is Mobile
Dr. Dearborn and Curry will talk about the differences between the two procedures, including how the partial knee replacement implant functions more like a knee than traditional implants. The Oxford partial knee implant is unique, in that the plastic bearing can move as the knee flexes and extends, much like a meniscus does inside a normal knee.
The cemented Oxford partial knee replacement has been used in Europe for more than 40 years and has the best outcomes of all the partial knee implants on the market today, likely because of the mobile bearing that replicates natural knee joint movement. The unique cementless version of this implant option, now approved in the U.S., eliminates the need for bone cement as a grout, which can be a barrier to long-term fixation for a younger patient.
In addition, partial knee replacement eliminates the need for a surgeon to remove a patient’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a vital ligament in the center of the knee that connects the thighbone to the shinbone. Total knee replacements require the removal of the ACL.
“When we remove the ACL, we compromise the knee,” explains Dr. Dearborn, “and it never feels quite right. With partial knee replacement, we can save the ACL, since we’re only making cuts on one side of the knee, and there’s less pain and blood loss. By six weeks, the patient is far ahead of someone with a total knee replacement.”
Less Invasive with Reduced Pain
The partial knee replacement has many benefits, including being a less expensive option, according to Dr. Dearborn. It also has reduced pain, faster recovery, and other benefits.
“What makes the Oxford partial knee replacement so remarkable is that millions of them have been done in the U.K. with unparalleled clinical outcomes,” notes Dr. Dearborn. “Multiple studies show these Oxford implants exceed a 95% survival rate at 10 to 15 years post-surgery. Because of its proven longevity, the Oxford partial knee replacement allows us to offer a superior permanent solution to patients who might otherwise have needed another replacement in their lifetime.”
“Advanced Approaches to Partial Versus Total Knee Replacement” is the first in the new podcast format. Washington Health is pivoting to this new method of health-related education to provide educational information in a more entertaining, accessible way.