Your orthopedic surgeon may recommend knee surgery to treat severe knee pain and increasing disability as a result of osteoarthritis, an injury, or another health condition causing damage to the joint. If your condition or injury has caused permanent and significant damage to your knee, conservative treatment methods may no longer relieve symptoms to a degree that allows you to live a relatively normal life. Fortunately, knee surgery can tremendously reduce pain symptoms and restore function in the knee joint.
There are different types of knee surgery, and what your doctor recommends will depend on the type and severity of the damage you have in your knee joint.
Partial Knee Replacement Surgery
A partial knee replacement surgery may be appropriate if the damage is confined to a specific part of the knee, such as the medial or lateral compartment. It involves removing damaged parts of the joint and replacing them with artificial components.
Patients eligible for this procedure still have an intact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The knee should also be relatively stable and have sufficient range of motion. The angulation of the deformity may also affect whether a patient is eligible for this procedure. Partial knee replacement surgery patients are often of advanced age, however, it is increasingly being recommended to younger patients who have irreparable damage in the knee caused by sports injuries.
Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Patients with significant damage to the knee joint and severe or debilitating pain may be eligible for total knee replacement surgery. This is a common procedure among those who have advanced arthritis, which led the knee joint to deteriorate beyond the effectiveness of conservative treatments. During the procedure, the entire knee joint is removed and replaced with artificial components.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear Repair Surgery
The ACL is made up of strong non-elastic fibers that connect bones near the knee joint to each other. It is one of the most commonly injured ligaments in the knee. The ACL can tear when it is twisted or stretched beyond its capacity. While not all ACL tears require it, severe tears must be treated through surgery. The goal of ACL repair surgery is to reconstruct the knee joint, so it can function well with stability. During the procedure, an orthopedic surgeon will replace the damaged ACL with a health tendon, called a graft.
Knee Osteotomy
A patient with knee osteoarthritis on just one side of the knee may be eligible for an osteotomy. An osteotomy involves the addition or removal of a bone in your tibia or femur to relieve pressure on the damaged knee joint by shifting weight off of it. The end results are pain relief and improved knee function. Usually, patients who undergo an osteotomy need a total knee replacement 10 years after the procedure.
Orthopedic Surgeon in Palm Beaches, Florida
The orthopedic surgeons at Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches routinely perform knee surgery to treat patients with all kinds of knee injuries and conditions. Knee surgery is nothing short of life-changing for patients who have had to deal with symptoms of pain, swelling, and stiffness on a daily basis.
To find out if you are eligible for knee surgery, come in for a consultation. Call (561) 733-5888, Ext. 1 to request an appointment or fill out our patient form now.
