Tag Archives: knee pain

Must Arthritic Knees Be Replaced?

If your doctor says you have arthritis in your knee, does that mean you will need knee replacement surgery? The short answer is not necessarily. Fortunately, your body can compensate for the loss of function caused by arthritic damage to cartilage and bone in a knee joint, even if x-ray evidence seems to indicate that […]

Dislocated Kneecap: Your Guide To Symptoms, Treatment, and Physical Therapy

The Case of the Wandering Kneecap Kneecap dislocation, or patellar dislocation, can be a painful and frustrating experience, particularly for those who lead active lifestyles. It happens when the patella (kneecap) shifts out of its normal position, usually moving to the outside of the knee joint. Let’s dive into the details of what causes this […]

Knee Replacement Surgery: Before and After

Many patients believe that a physical therapy regimen follows joint replacement surgery, but exercise before surgery can reap many benefits afterward. Think about it: The pain in your knee has probably rendered you less active. Less activity causes the muscles—in this case, those in the thighs and hips that directly and indirectly support your bad […]

Weight-bearing Following Total Knee Replacement

How much weight will you be allowed to place on your leg after total knee replacement surgery? This is a very important question, the answer to which depends on a number of factors. Weight-bearing following the surgery may be partial or full, depending on the surgeon’s approach. A critical part of the question is whether […]

Lubricating Your Arthritic Knee

A decade ago, individuals who had osteoarthritis of the knee were limited in their options for treatment: anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, reduced activity or surgery. Viscosupplementation, a relatively new treatment involving injections of a lubricating substance called hyaluronan, has become available for patients who suffer from this painful condition or who are unable to tolerate […]

Total Knee Replacement with a Hybrid Joint

If you are scheduled to undergo knee replacement surgery, your surgeon has three procedures from which to choose. An artificial knee can be held in place, or fixed, using a cemented , noncemented or hybrid procedure. Your surgeon will decide which procedure is best for you. The cemented procedure is the most common and produces […]

A New Procedure to “Fix” Cartilage

Knee problems associated with cartilage damage are not fun. Particularly prone to damage is the articular cartilage, which covers the end of bones where they meet, or articulate, with another bone, such as the knee, to provide shock absorption and enable the joint to withstand weight bearing needed to perform daily activities and sports. Once […]

Double-bundle Surgery to Repair ACL Damage

The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, which connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone) in the center of the knee joint, actually consists of two “bundles” or “bands.” One, the anteromedial (AM) , controls the forward and backward movement of the tibia while the other, the posterolateral (PL), controls the knee when […]

Exercise and Osteoarthritis

After receiving a diagnosis of “arthritis of the knee,” which is the most common form of osteoarthritis, you might be surprised when your doctor recommends exercise. Because osteoarthritis involves a progressive deterioration of the protective joint cartilage, the bone is exposed within the joint—leading many to believe that exercise would only intensify the condition. This, […]

Osteotomy: Aligning the Leg to Treat Arthritis

The strongest joint in the body, the knee can bear forces of more than twice your body weight. When the thighbone (femur), knee and shinbone (tibia) are properly aligned, weight is distributed equally over the knee. However, degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis or tearing and repair of the anterior cruciate ligament can result in an uneven distribution […]