Cartilage Repair
The articular cartilage covers the ends of the bones in the knee joint, and allows them [bones] to easily move against one another and absorb shock. Your cartilage can become damaged through injury or disease and can cause significant pain and weakness. Without treatment, the cartilage can become further damaged and potentially lead to knee replacement surgery.
In order to determine the appropriate treatment option, the surgeon will use MRI technology to see the size, location and degree of injury in the cartilage. Other factors determining treatment include a patient’s age, activity level, rehabilitation potential and desire to return to sports.
Most cartilage repair surgeries are performed minimally invasive using an arthroscopic camera and tiny instruments within a small incision. To learn more about the treatment options, click here.
Total Knee Replacement
Your knee is the largest joint in your body. It is made up of the lower end of the thighbone (femur), which rotates on the upper end of the shin bone (tibia), and the knee cap (patella) that slides in a groove on the end of your femur.
Specifically, the joint surface where these three bones connect is a smooth substance called the articular cartilage, which cushions the bones and enables them to move easily. The rest of the knee is covered by a thin, smooth tissue liner that releases a special fluid to lubricate the knee. In a healthy knee, these two components work together to eliminate friction and allow for easy mobility.
When you start experiencing pain in the joint, your movement is inhibited. If all other conservative treatment options have failed, knee replacement may be required.
More than 600,000 total knee replacement (TKA) procedures are performed every year in the U.S.5 In a TKA, an incision is made down the center of the knee, then the diseased bone and cartilage components are removed and replaced with metal and plastic implants that allow the bones to smoothly slide against each other like natural cartilage.
Surgery time varies from one to two hours and an additional two hours can be added depending on the amount of time spent before surgery and in the recovery room. Overall, most patients are ready to return home three to five days after surgery.
Learn more by reading this educational brochure.
5 National Center for Health Statistics Website. Inpatient Surgery. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00389