The knee is one of the most important joints in the body because it helps us stand, walk, run, jump, and more. When the knee gets damaged due to injury or degenerative disease, it can have debilitating effects on your life. Thousands of knee procedures are performed across the country every day. Let’s take a look at the most common knee procedures.
Most Common Knee Surgeries
There are a variety of knee surgeries performed every day. They include:
- Knee replacement surgery. When the knee’s bones become too damaged to heal on their own, a knee replacement surgery becomes necessary. The surgery involves inserting artificial pieces in place of damaged bones. Knee replacement surgery can be partial (only a few components are replaced) or total (the whole knee is replaced).
- Removal, repair or replacement of a torn meniscus. The meniscus is responsible for stabilizing and cushioning structures within the knee. The meniscus can be torn when the knee is twisted with force or is hyper-flexed.
- Repair or reconstruction of a torn ACL. The ACL helps to stabilize the knee. It can be torn when there is a sudden change in direction of the knee or you pivot the knee while it is in “locked” position.
- Repair or trimming of articular cartilage that has partially torn or frayed. Articular cartilage protects the ends of bones that meet at a joint and serves as a barrier that prevents them from rubbing against each other. When articular cartilage gets frayed or torn due to wear and tear or an injury, it may need repair or a portion of it may need to be removed.
- Treatment of a dislocated patella or kneecap. This happens when the knee cap moves out of position due to a sudden blow. While dislocated kneecaps are often treated through repositioning, recurrent kneecap dislocations are treated through surgery.
- Treatment of knee sepsis or infection. If components of a knee get damaged from sepsis or infection, surgery may be necessary to correct the problem. If left untreated, knee sepsis can lead to destruction of the cartilage or bones in the knee.
- Repair torn tendons and reattachment of the patellar or quadriceps tendon. Tendons can be torn for a variety of reasons such as an accident or continuous weakening from wear and tear or repetitive motions which leads to a higher risk of the tendon being torn. Tendons that have completely torn or cannot heal on their own must be fixed through surgery.
Arthroscopic Approach
A lot of the knee surgeries mentioned above can be treated using arthroscopic technology. This permits fewer and smaller incisions to be made in the knee. Without having to open up the entire knee to perform the surgery, arthroscopic surgery leads to faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, less pain for the patient, less scarring, and less time spent in rehabilitation.
Knee Surgery in Farmington Hills, MI
If you are in need of knee surgery, consider the experts at Tri Country Orthopedics. They specialize in treating all types of joint problems in the hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand. They treat all types of issues using state-of-the-art surgical methods such as arthroscopy as well as a variety of effective non-surgical treatments. To make an appointment, call (248) 474-5575 or request an appointment online.
