When All Else Fails...Knee Replacement Relieves Pain, Restores Mobility
Our bodies are designed to withstand a lot of wear and tear, but sometimes, age and injury get the best of us. One of our most vulnerable joints is the knee. It bears the weight of our body; we bend it hundreds of times each day, and often, we twist or flex it in ways it was not designed to go.
According to a 1999 National Ambulatory Medical Care survey, orthopedic surgeons report that the knee is the most frequently treated part of the body. In fact, in that same year, Americans made more than 10 million visits to their doctors as a result of knee problems.
When the cartilage that cushions your bones has worn away in the knee area, because of wear, an old injury or a condition like osteoarthritis, bone runs against bone with each step. This causes pain, inflammation and swelling, which can adversely affect the person's mobility. The day-to-day activities of life may become difficult.
Doctors may start with conservative treatments - anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections into the affected joint, braces to support and strengthen the joint, and physical therapy. A doctor may also recommend that the patient lose weight if that is an issue.
If these therapies fail and the patient starts to experience progressive pain even while at rest, doctors may consider a knee replacement to relieve the symptoms and restore mobility. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons reports that about 267,000 people undergo the procedure each year.
"More than 90 percent of the patients who undergo a total knee replacement experience considerable pain relief and a significant increase in their mobility," says Houston Northwest Medical Center orthopaedic surgeon Alberto Cuellar, M.D. "The knee is the joint we replace most frequently."
If you have chronic and disabling knee pain, you may be a candidate for knee replacement.
Our bodies are designed to withstand a lot of wear and tear, but sometimes, age and injury get the best of us. One of our most vulnerable joints is the knee. It bears the weight of our body; we bend it hundreds of times each day, and often, we twist or flex it in ways it was not designed to go.
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