Knee Surgery

Knee Surgery

A typical image associated with Knee Surgery often depicts medical professionals, perhaps an orthopedic surgeon and their team, meticulously performing a procedure on a patient's knee. The scene might highlight specialized surgical instruments, an arthroscope (a small camera used for minimally invasive procedures), or the intricate anatomical structures of the knee joint, emphasizing the precision and complexity involved in restoring knee function.

🤨 Meaning

Knee surgery refers to any surgical procedure performed on the knee joint to repair, replace, or reconstruct damaged structures. It's a specialized branch of orthopedic surgery aimed at alleviating pain, restoring stability, and improving mobility and function in individuals suffering from various knee conditions, including injuries, degenerative diseases like arthritis, or congenital deformities.

📖 Origin

The origins of modern knee surgery can be traced back to the early 20th century, though rudimentary orthopedic interventions existed much earlier. Significant advancements began in the mid-20th century. The development of arthroscopy by Dr. Masaki Watanabe in Japan in the 1960s revolutionized knee procedures, allowing for minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment. Concurrently, the 1960s and 1970s saw the pioneering work in total knee replacement (TKR), offering a transformative solution for severe knee arthritis. Continuous innovation in surgical techniques, prosthetic materials, and imaging technology has since refined these procedures, making them safer, more effective, and accessible to a wider range of patients. Historical documentaries or medical archives often showcase this evolution, demonstrating the progression from open, invasive surgeries to today's highly precise and often minimally invasive interventions.

🎙️ Usage

Knee surgery is typically considered when non-surgical treatments such as physical therapy, medication, injections, or lifestyle modifications have failed to provide adequate relief, or when the knee injury or condition is severe enough to warrant immediate surgical intervention to prevent further damage or restore critical function. It's often recommended for conditions causing significant pain, instability, limited range of motion, or structural damage to the knee joint.

Specific uses and types of knee surgery include:

• Arthroscopy: A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera (arthroscope) to diagnose and treat various knee problems. Common applications include:
  • Meniscus Repair/Meniscectomy: Addressing tears in the meniscus, the cartilage that cushions the knee joint.
  • ACL Reconstruction: Repairing or replacing a torn anterior cruciate ligament, often due to sports injuries.
  • Removal of Loose Bodies: Extracting fragments of bone or cartilage that cause pain or locking.
  • Synovectomy: Removing inflamed synovial tissue in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
• Total Knee Replacement (TKR) / Knee Arthroplasty: Replacing the entire damaged knee joint with artificial implants, primarily for severe osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
• Partial Knee Replacement (PKR) / Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty: Replacing only the damaged compartment of the knee joint, suitable for localized arthritis.
• Knee Osteotomy: Reshaping the bones around the knee to shift weight from the damaged areas to healthier ones, often used in younger patients with early-stage arthritis to delay joint replacement.
• Cartilage Repair and Restoration Procedures: Techniques like microfracture, autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), or osteochondral allograft transplantation to repair or regenerate damaged articular cartilage surfaces.
• Patellofemoral Realignment: Procedures to correct issues with the kneecap (patella) tracking improperly, which can cause pain and instability.