Orthopedic Treatments Your Surgeon May Suggest For Your Knee Pain
If you've been having trouble with knee pain due to an injury or arthritis, talk to an orthopedic doctor about options for treatment. If you have frequent pain or pain that interferes with your ability to work or walk, orthopedic treatment could be essential to your quality of life.
Your doctor might start with knee injections to see if those relieve your pain. If not, surgery might be the best alternative. Knee surgery can be done in a few different ways. Here are some options your doctor might suggest.
Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
This surgery is a diagnostic test and an orthopedic treatment combined. The surgeon inserts a small scope in your knee through a tiny incision that lets the doctor see the damage that's causing your pain. When it's possible, the surgeon can remove bone fragments or repair a ligament at the same time so more invasive surgery can be avoided.
This orthopedic treatment can be done with a local anesthetic or general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. When finished, the surgeon may close the tiny incisions with a bandage or stitches. Your knee may be placed in a brace or wrapped in a compression bandage.
You'll probably need to use crutches after the procedure and rest with your knee elevated. Your doctor will give you instructions for your recovery that might include taking off a few weeks of work depending on the nature of your surgery and the type of work that you do.
Knee Replacement Surgery
If the damage to your knee is more extensive, your surgeon might recommend a partial or full knee replacement. These orthopedic treatments involve removing damaged tissues and replacing them with a partial or full artificial joint. These procedures, even a full joint replacement, can sometimes be done with a minimally invasive surgery.
Not everyone is suitable for minimally invasive surgery, but if you are, your doctor may choose that option so you have an easier time with recovery. Smaller incisions are used, so you can heal quicker and have a lower risk of complications when you have the minimally invasive procedure.
Whether you have a minimally invasive or open knee joint replacement, you'll probably stay in the hospital for a few days to recover. Physical therapy is an important aspect of recovering from a knee replacement, and your doctor may have you begin therapy while you're still in the hospital and continue after you go home.
Doing exercises your physical therapist prescribes helps you regain full range of motion in your knee and strengthens the muscles that support your knee so your new joint is stable.
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