Minimally Invasive Knee Surgery

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The knees — the largest joints in your body — are comprised of bones, cartilage, meniscus and ligaments. One small tear, sprain or break to the knee can keep you off your feet and out of all the physical activities you enjoy. While anyone can experience a knee injury, women, athletes, those who are overweight and older adults with poor balance or arthritis are at the highest risk.

Do You Need Minimally Invasive Knee Surgery?

To treat some knee injuries, the RICE method — rest, ice, compression and elevation — along with bracing and anti-inflammatory medication, may be enough to relieve the pain, but surgery might be recommended if symptoms persist. Surgery doesn’t have to be scary, and many knee injuries can be treated with minimally invasive techniques.

For example, knee arthroscopy is a type of minimally invasive surgery that allows surgeons to perform an operation through a smaller incision than traditional surgery. During this procedure, a small camera is inserted and gives the surgeon a detailed view of the inside of the knee. The surgeon can then navigate small surgical instruments to mend the damaged joint. Minimally invasive surgery has several benefits, including less pain, less damage to tissue around the incision and often a shorter recovery time.

Most ideal candidates are at a healthy weight, committed to participating in rehabilitation after surgery and have lower risk of complications from surgery.

Knee Pain Treatment

Our orthopedic surgeons specializing in knee surgery offer minimally invasive surgical treatment for these common conditions:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
• Bursitis
• Dislocation
• Fractures
• Meniscus tears
• Tendinitis

Our knee pain specialists will evaluate the injury and may order imaging to see if you qualify for orthopedic knee surgery.

Our orthopedic knee surgeons offer several types of minimally invasive knee surgery, including these common procedures:

• ACL reconstruction — Reconstructs a ligament tear in knee
• Meniscectomy — Removes all or part of a damaged meniscus
• Knee arthroplasty — Replaces damaged parts of knee with an implant

If you have knee injury and are considering minimally invasive surgery, call 480-558-3744 to schedule an appointment with an orthopedic knee doctor.

Sources: National Institutes of Health, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, America Academy of Pediatrics, KidsHealth, Medline Plus

ACL Injury Treatment

The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is one of four main ligaments of the knee. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. The ACL, one of two ligaments that cross in the middle of the knee, connects your thigh bone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia) and helps stabilize your knee joint.

ACL sprains or tears (either partial or complete) are among the most commonly occurring knee injuries. They often happen to athletes who play sports that involve jumping, landing and sudden stops or changes in direction. These sports include soccer, basketball, football and downhill skiing.

Treatment for an ACL injury can include physical therapy and wearing a knee brace, but treatment often requires ACL repair surgery.

Signs You May Have an ACL Injury

Injuries to the knee should not be taken lightly because of the complex makeup of bones, ligaments, tendons and tissues that all work together. It’s important to get a prompt diagnosis to determine the severity of the injury.

You should seek immediate care if you experience any of these symptoms that indicate an ACL injury:

• A popping sound on injury
• Knee pain, especially when putting weight on the knee
• Swelling, sometimes occurring a few hours after the injury
• Limited range of motion
• Feeling that the knee isn’t stable

ACL Injury Care

Treatment for your injury will include rehabilitation exercises to help you regain strength and stability, wearing a knee brace and, depending on your lifestyle and the severity of your injury, possible ACL knee surgery. Surgery to repair or replace the torn ligament is usually followed by more physical therapy.

ACL repair is a minimally invasive procedure, performed arthroscopically, and can usually be done as an outpatient procedure. Most ACL tears can’t be stitched back together so a new ligament must be constructed, using a tissue graft for the new ligament to grow on.

After your ACL reconstruction surgery, a strict physical therapy regimen must be followed in order to restore your knee function and strengthen the leg muscles that support your knee. For athletes, it can take up to six months after surgery to regain full use of your knee.

Request a referral to one of our orthopedic knee specialists or call 480-558-3744 today to make an appointment.

Sources: Medline Plus, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Academy of Family Physicians