Costs | Artificial knee joint

Costs

In Germany, the costs incurred for the installation of an artificial knee joint are in most cases covered by the patient’s health insurance company. The hospital usually settles the bill directly with the respective insurance company, without the patient having to pay a subtotal. For privately insured patients, it is advisable to find out beforehand how exactly the health insurance company handles the assumption of costs.

A purely artificial knee joint costs 1500-2000 Euros, depending on the type of material and the size of the prosthesis. A full prosthesis is of course more expensive than a sled prosthesis because it contains more material. Added to this are the costs for the actual operation, the doctors, the hospital stay and the diagnostic tools. Thus, the average cost of an artificial knee joint is about 12,000 Euros, if the case is uncomplicated. However, if complications occur, higher costs are incurred.

Duration (surgery, hospital, rehabilitation, incapacity to work)

Patients who need an artificial knee joint are often interested in the duration of the operation, the duration of rehabilitation and the possible duration of their incapacity to work, so that they can plan the procedure. The actual operation of the artificial knee joint usually takes about one to two hours. Should complications arise during the operation, the operation may take a little longer.

After the operation, the patient remains in hospital for about eight to ten days. During this time, a wound check and the first physiotherapy sessions for mobilization take place. Physiotherapy is usually started on the first or at the latest on the second day after the installation of an artificial knee joint.

After the actual stay in hospital, the patient often goes to rehab either afterwards or with a shorter interim period. In most cases, rehabilitation with an artificial knee joint takes about three to four weeks. This is where further mobilization, loading exercises of the knee joint and preparation for everyday stress take place.

The duration of the incapacity to work varies greatly. It depends to a large extent on the patient’s occupation. In most cases it lasts at least eight weeks. However, in the case of physically strenuous activities, the duration of incapacity to work may be longer.