New Medical Procedures for Knee Pain

The knee is one of the most complex joints in the body. It is made up of ligaments, cartilage, tendons, muscles, and fluid-filled sacs called bursae. The knee allows the body to bend, stoop, run, jump, squat, walk, and steadily stand, among other things. A knee injury can severely limit mobility until it is treated. Treatment often requires surgery. There are many different types of surgical procedures that can help to treat and relieve knee pain.

Causes

• Knee pain can be caused by many things such as severe trauma to the knee, arthritis, an infected joint, lupus, bone tumors, Osgood-Schlater disease, overuse of the knee joint, muscle strain, bursitis, a cyst, tendinitis, or from a torn ligament or tendon. Often times, you can reduce swelling and minimize knee pain by simply resting the knee, icing the knee, using a compress on the knee, and elevating the knee. However, other times the only option to treat knee pain is to undergo a medical procedure.

Medical Treatment

• Some new medical procedures that can help to treat knee pain include arthroscopic surgery, partial knee replacement surgery, or total knee replacement surgery. Arthroscopic surgery uses just a few small surgical incisions to examine and repair joint damage. Arthroscopic surgery can rid the knee joint of loose bodies, fix damaged cartilage and ligaments, and fix degenerative knee damage. One advantage to arthroscopic surgery is the speedy recovery time compared to other more invasive open surgeries. Partial knee replacement surgery is the process of replacing just part of the damaged knee with a plastic or metal prosthesis. Healing time for a partial knee replacement surgery is reduced to what it would be like for a total knee replacement surgery. In fact, the required amount of time that people typically spend in the hospital for a partial knee replacement surgery is only one night. Total knee replacement surgery requires the complete replacement of the knee. The knee is totally replaced with a prosthetic joint. The prosthetic joint is typically made from high end plastics and metals. Total knee replacement surgery is typically for people who have rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, or other degenerative conditions. Total knee replacement last longer and the results are better compared with partial knee replacement surgery. It is important to discuss all medical options with your doctor to determine which knee correction surgery is the best option for your situation.