Healthy Joints • Melbourne

Less pain. Quicker recovery. Subvastus (Quadriceps-Sparing) knee replacement

By gently lifting—rather than cutting—the quadriceps tendon, the subvastus approach aims to reduce muscle trauma. Paired with ERAS best-practice care, patients typically experience less early pain and a faster return to walking and daily activities.

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See how it compares
Published evidence

Available at Adeney Private, St Vincent’s Private East Melbourne, and St Vincent’s Private Werribee.

Patient walking comfortably in Melbourne after quadriceps-sparing knee replacement — Preserving the quadriceps mechanism can make early movement easier.

Adeney Private
St Vincent’s Private East Melbourne
St Vincent’s Private Werribee

Adeney Private

Contemporary theatres with a coordinated peri-operative team focused on comfort, pain control and early mobility.

Experienced ERAS nursing
On-site physio for same-day mobilisation
Streamlined telehealth follow-up

More about Adeney Private →

St Vincent’s Private East Melbourne

Inner-city access with specialist anaesthesia and physiotherapy support. Ideal for complex medical needs with an ERAS-first mindset.

Personalised pain plans
Early mobilisation protocols
Seamless handover to home/clinic physio

More about SVPH East Melbourne →

St Vincent’s Private Werribee

Purpose-built peri-operative care and physio support to help reduce early pain and get you moving sooner.

Goal-based mobilisation
Enhanced recovery nursing
Local rehab options coordinated

More about SVPH Werribee →

What is the Subvastus (Quadriceps-Sparing) approach?

The incision is on the front/inner side of the knee. The vastus medialis is gently lifted—not cut—to preserve the quadriceps mechanism that straightens the knee.

Often less early pain (day-1 and early weeks)
Earlier straight-leg raise and easier stairs
Pairs naturally with ERAS: pre-hab, modern anaesthesia, early walking

If your knee is very stiff or anatomically complex, another approach may be safer—we’ll discuss the best option for you.

Quadriceps-sparing aims to reduce muscle trauma → often less early pain.

ERAS: Comfort-first, movement-earlyEvidence-based

Pre-hab & goal-setting so you know what to expect
Modern anaesthesia + multimodal analgesia to reduce opioid need
Ice, elevation and swelling-control protocols
Guided early mobilisation the day of surgery where safe
Telehealth and physio follow-up with clear contacts

Your recovery goals

Pain under control with a simple plan
Confident transfers and first steps
Safe stairs practice and home set-up
Daily exercises that fit your life

Plan my recovery

Quadriceps-sparing (Subvastus) vs Medial Parapatellar: what patients feel

What matters to you	Subvastus (quadriceps-sparing)	Medial parapatellar (traditional)
Early pain	Many studies report lower early pain scores (day-1 and early weeks) and easier straight-leg raise for many patients.	Effective exposure, though some patients report more early anterior knee pain due to quadriceps/patellar handling.
Early function	Better early ROM and quicker SLR/stairs reported in several RCTs/meta-analyses.	Reliable and familiar; early function can be good but may lag when the quadriceps is incised/everting the patella.
Alignment & safety	Modern series show no increase in malalignment or component malposition vs MPP when performed by experienced teams.	Gold-standard exposure with excellent visibility; widely used and familiar to many surgeons.
Trade-offs	More technically demanding; operative time similar or slightly longer in some hands.	Great exposure in stiff/complex knees; may involve more quadriceps/patellar soft-tissue handling.

Bottom line: we choose the approach that best fits your knee and goals—comfort, confidence, and safe, steady progress.

No-Gap Options

No-Gap knee replacement (selected funds & criteria)

For eligible patients insured with Medibank or Bupa, a No-Gap pathway may be available for primary knee replacement when clinical and fund criteria are met.