Knee Injuries – Part 3 – Surgery

Knee Injuries: This is the last of a three-part blog series on knee injuries. Sprained (partially torn) ligaments in the knee are frequently treated without surgery.  This is also true for some tears of the menisci in the knee joint. However, when the symptoms are too painful or disruptive for the injury victim, surgery is available, usually performed through the arthroscope.  Small, pencil-sized incisions are made to insert tools, a light source and visualization scope as opposed to a larger incision which requires a much longer period of time to recover.

Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

When the Anterior Cruciate Ligament is totally ruptured, it is usually reconstructed with a graft that has to be passed through the Femur and Tibia and anchored at each end to hold it in place.

When the Menisci cartilage in the knee joint have been severely injured and the articular cartilage on the ends of the Femur and Tibia have degenerated and/or worn due to traumatic arthritic changes following an injury or due to non-traumatic arthritis, leaving the patient with “bone on bone” Stage 4 arthritis, a knee replacement procedure may be performed.  

Orthopedists try to delay performing a total knee replacement arthroplasty as long as possible because the prosthetic devices have a life span of approximately 15-20 years.  If the knee replacement is performed on someone in their fifties, it’s likely they will have to undergo another knee replacement in their seventies.

There are many variations of knee replacement procedures.  Total knee replacement involves the removal of the ends of the Femur and Tibia and replacing them with prosthetic devices.  Using MRI tecnology to obtain exact measurements, the prosthetic devices can be custom made.  Immediately after surgery, the patient is placed in a CPM machine that puts the knee joint in motion.  This helps to overcome the patient’s fear of moving the joint and can also reduce swelling and the possibility of blood clots while increasing the range of movement in the knee joint. 

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a serious injury or fatality, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact an experienced personal injury trial lawyer at The Maurer Law Firm, PLLC to schedule a free consultation to discuss your rights by filling out our free website “Tell Us About Your Case” review form, or phone us directly at 845- 896-5295.

Posted by Ira M. Maurer, Esq. for The Maurer Law Firm, PLLC

Lifetime Member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum