Knee pain is a common problem that can stem from many causes. It may come from acute injuries or chronic medical conditions. Knee pain can occur to anyone, but athletes, manual labor workers, the elderly, and overweight individuals are at a higher risk of damaging their knee joints, which is one of the most common causes of knee pain.
Do You Need Surgery for Knee Pain?
When experiencing knee pain, we often go for home remedies and nonsurgical treatments first. However, there are cases when these treatments fail to work, and the pain does not subside. In such cases, surgery may be necessary to eliminate the pain and address the underlying cause.
Your doctor will help you determine if surgery is necessary for your knee pain issue. Here are some common surgical treatments for knee pain.
Arthroscopic Surgery
Arthroscopic surgery is a procedure doctors utilize to examine, diagnose, and treat problems inside a joint. A fiber-optic camera and long narrow tools are inserted through small incisions in your knee. The instrument with a tiny camera is an arthroscope. It shows live video of the inside of your joint on a monitor, which assists and guides surgeons while they work.
Arthroscopy allows your surgeon to examine and repair joint damage with as little trauma to the healthy tissue surrounding the injury as possible. Many times, surgeons are able to diagnose and fix problems in the knee during the same arthroscopy procedure.
Common arthroscopic procedures for the knees are:
- Reconstruction of torn ligaments
- Removal or restoration of damaged cartilage
- Removal of loose bodies from your knee joint
Partial Knee Replacement Surgery
The knee joint has three sections (medial, lateral, and patellofemoral), and any of these can be replaced with a partial knee replacement. Your surgeon may recommend this surgery if the nonsurgical options no longer work to alleviate pain caused by damaged components in the knee.
Partial knee replacement surgery replaces the damaged part of your knee using components made of plastic and metal. Your surgeon will attach these components using bone cement to the healthy parts of your knee before closing the incisions with stitches.
If the damage is restricted to a small portion of the knee joint, it may be possible to replace only the worn-out part of the joint. However, if the damage is more extensive, you may need a total knee replacement.
Total Knee Replacement
Total knee replacement, also called knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure done to restore the function of a knee damaged. If you have severe arthritis or a serious knee injury that has caused permanent damage to all components of your knee joint, your doctor may recommend this type of surgery. It can successfully alleviate knee pain and address the mechanical issues that nonsurgical treatments cannot.
In this procedure, the surgeon replaces the damaged bone and cartilage from your thigh bone, shinbone, and kneecap with artificial parts. The components are made of metal, plastic, or a combination of both.
An alternative to this procedure is minimally invasive knee replacement. Instead of the 12-inch incision used in traditional total knee replacement, minimally invasive surgery requires a smaller incision. This option means a shorter recovery time and a smaller scar. Consult with your surgeon on whether you are eligible for the procedure.
Patient-Centered Orthopedic Care in Kansas
At Midwest Orthopaedics, we offer patient-centered orthopedic care services. We treat a wide spectrum of general orthopedic issues, including fractures, arthritis-related problems, and musculoskeletal disorders. We also have experts in sports medicine on staff for athletes and physically active patients.
For high quality, patient-centered orthopedic care, make an appointment today by calling (913) 362-8317 or request an appointment online.
