When would I need knee surgery?
Knee surgery is the last line of treatment for most knee conditions. Your provider could recommend surgery when your symptoms don’t improve with treatments like rest, immobilization, changing your activities, physical therapy, and regenerative medicine.
Some knee injuries will need surgery right from the start to be sure they heal properly. Examples include:
- ACL and other ligament tears
- Meniscal tears
- Fractures
- Patella or quad tendon ruptures
- Kneecap dislocation
People with knee osteoarthritis often need surgery as their disease gets worse. Your symptoms can improve after surgery to repair the cartilage or realign the bones in the joint. However, you need a partial or complete knee replacement once advanced arthritis has damaged the joint.
What happens during knee surgery?
The Regenerative Orthopaedics and Spine Institute team uses a minimally invasive procedure called arthroscopy for nearly every kind of knee repair, including:
- Tendon repairs
- Ligament reconstructions
- Meniscus repairs or removals
- Cartilage transplants
- Bone removals
- Loose body removals
- Partial or total knee replacements
- Debridements (cleaning away inflamed or infected tissues)
During arthroscopy, your provider uses long, narrow instruments that fit through a few tiny incisions. The arthroscope is equipped with lighting and a camera that sends magnified images to a monitor. Your provider uses arthroscopy to examine the joint, diagnose the problem, and make repairs.
What should I expect during my recovery from knee surgery?
The small incisions required for arthroscopy cause minimal trauma. As a result, you have less pain after surgery and a faster recovery. Most people are up, walking, and ready to go home in a few hours. Before you go home, you get detailed instructions about caring for your knee and managing pain.
You might need crutches or another assistive device for a short time. It’s important, though, to begin exercising your knee as soon as possible. Movement reduces inflammation, eases your pain, and restores strength and movement.
Your provider gives you an exercise regimen to follow at home. You start physical therapy as soon as possible. You should be ready to return to most activities in 6-8 weeks, but you might need to avoid high-impact activities for a little longer. If your surgery included ligament reconstruction, it’ll take longer to recover fully.
If you struggle with severe or ongoing knee pain, call Regenerative Orthopaedics and Spine Institute or book an appointment online today.
