People mistakenly believe that osteoarthritis is like lime scale in a washing machine, something that can be dissolved with medication. This misconception leads many patients to be subjected to misuse, steered towards simple, non-surgical treatments that don't address the underlying disease. While anyone can provide a simple herbal or non-surgical treatment, the number of doctors who can perform unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, known as a partial knee replacement, is very limited. Contrary to popular belief, osteoarthritis is the damage, or even destruction, of the cartilage in the joint. Cartilage acts as a cushion in the knee, absorbing impact. It can be likened to a car tire. If you continue to drive on a flat tire, the rim will destroy the tire. Similarly, when cartilage is damaged, the hard bone will crush and fragment the soft cartilage. Just as a car leans to the side with a flat tire, gait disturbances occur with damaged cartilage. The inner part of the knee collapses and deformities begin. Osteoarthritis is exactly this kind of disease. Just as a shredded tire cannot be fixed without replacement, a knee with osteoarthritis—that is, with severely damaged cartilage—cannot be fully treated without replacement through prosthetic surgery.