An ailing knee can make life miserable. The most important factors in choosing to have a joint replaced are how much it hurts and how much it is affecting your life.

Here are reasons why it may be time to have a knee replaced:

• You can no longer complete routine daily tasks without help.
• You have significant pain. For example, pain that keeps you up at night, can no longer be relieved with medicine, keeps you from being able to walk or bend over or that persists even when you rest.
• Your doctor says that no other treatment is likely to help at this time.
• Your arthritis is wearing you down physically, emotionally, and mentally.
• You have too many side effects from medicine prescribed to help your arthritis.
• X-rays or other tests show advanced arthritis or significant joint damage.

Even if your doctor recommends it be replaced, you need to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of surgery. And you also need to understand that it will require significant rehabilitation to get back on your feet.