[Total knee arthroplasty].
Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is considered to be a common surgical intervention in the patients with widespread deformation of the knee joint during the process of arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. It is also considered to be the method of choice for those patients. TKA is based on removing the destroyed parts of the knee and replacing them with new metal or plastic elements. It is commonly believed that TKA is the process of replacing the old destroyed joint with the new artificial one. Based on own experiences and the literature data the authors presented the most important indications for the TKA, the rules of the prosthesis selection and the operative techniques, contemporary opinions, and current trends in TKA.