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As anyone who follows sports knows, knee injuries are common. Everyone is susceptible to knee problems, especially as age and the wear and tear of ordinary living can take a toll. Diseases, such as arthritis, can also play a destructive role.
Advanced treatments offered by orthopedic specialists on the medical staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth may help to solve many of these problems. The following is a partial list of options to treat knee injuries:
Arthroscopic Knee Surgeries: Techniques that utilize tiny instruments and cameras introduced through small incisions to diagnose and treat various problems inside the knee; faster recoveries and fewer problems are the typical benefits.
ACL Reconstruction: Surgical procedures, performed traditionally or arthroscopically, to repair, reattach, or replace the anterior cruciate ligament if it is damaged or detached; the ACL is one of the tough, crisscross fibers that connect the femur (thighbone) to the tibia (shinbone) behind the kneecap.
| Knee joint replacement |
Normal anatomy
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Procedure
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Knee Replacement Surgery: A therapeutic approach that replaces part or all of a worn out knee joint with an artificial joint made of high-tech metal alloys and plastics; knee pain and disability typically occur when cartilage that cushions the knee joint deteriorates, resulting in bone-on-bone contact; knee implants can relieve pain and restore function.
Quadriceps-Sparing Knee Replacement Surgery: A technique that lets orthopedic surgeons replace a knee joint through a smaller incision, one that affects less of the large quadriceps leg muscle yet allows the use of proven, standard implants; this means less pain with more rapid healing and quicker return to functionality.
Computer-assisted knee surgery: Surgical techniques that employ the assistance of cameras and computers for visual mapping of the patient's knee before and during an operation; this "guidance system" enhances the surgeon's skills with electronic precision and accuracy.
Osteochondral Cartilage Transfer (OATS): A procedure that replaces damaged or diseased cartilage in a joint with some of the patient's own healthy cartilage; cartilage is the tissue that cushions joints and keeps bones from rubbing against each other and causing pain; in this surgery, plugs of underlying bone are harvested and transplanted along with the attached cartilage to encourage successful transfer; this operation can usually be done athroscopically. |
