Symptomatic knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthrosis in adults: it represents one of the main causes of disability, as well as a considerable burden on healthcare resources. Although in the early stages conservative treatment is the usual option proposed, in the advanced stages arthroplasty is often opted for. When choosing the type of treatment it is of fundamental importance to consider the functional requirements of the patient and his/her absolute centrality in the treatment programme, as demonstrated by the clinical case analysed here.