Did you know that your knees withstand an enormous amount of stress every day? Every one pound of body weight translates into three pounds of pressure on your knees. Add to this the wide number of movements you perform every day in walking, sitting, standing up, kneeling, running, squatting, and more. Over time, this stress wears away at the integral components of your knees, causing pain and loss of mobility.
Although your knees are the largest joints in your body, and capable of an inordinate amount of stress, they can develop acute and even chronic pain. This is a sign that your knees are suffering from wear-and-tear. But is a total knee replacement necessary?
Dr. David Dickerson and the talented orthopedic team at Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine handle a variety of joint problems, including recurring knee pain and resulting loss of mobility. They can answer your questions about your knee problems and propose solutions. One of these can be a complete knee replacement.
Knee pain can be caused by a variety of injuries and problems. Many athletes sustain knee injuries like sprains or strains, a torn ACL, or a torn patellar tendon. Other conditions like osteoarthritis or bursitis can develop and cause debilitating pain that doesn’t go away. Any knee pain that won’t go away, especially if it grows worse, can mean a total knee replacement is on your health horizon.
The team at Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine always chooses the least invasive treatment options first for your knee pain. Depending on the cause, we prescribe conservative treatments like rest, compression, physical therapy, injections, anti-inflammatory medications, and orthotic devices first.
When these or other conservative options don’t relieve your knee pain, it’s time to explore other options; one of these is a total knee replacement.
Dr. Dickerson and his skilled team are specialists at using advanced Mako® Total Knee Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery to perform precise complete knee replacement surgeries. This innovative procedure uses robot technology to guide Dr. Dickerson’s movements and help ensure a precise joint replacement while preserving healthy tissue for a superior outcome and quicker recovery.
Dr. Dickerson begins by obtaining a CT scan of your knee. This scan is uploaded to the Mako system, which uses it to create a virtual 3D model of your knee. Dr. Dickerson can then use this model to plan your knee replacement with high accuracy, making for a more precise sizing and placement of your prosthetic knee joint.
During your knee replacement surgery, Dr. Dickerson uses the Mako system to compare your actual knee joint to the 3D model and make any necessary adjustments. He then uses a robotic arm to perform intricately controlled movements to remove damaged tissue and knee components, and then install the new prosthetic joint.
All this is performed through a minimally invasive surgery using only a few small incisions. Knee replacement surgeries are a common procedure, and these treatments have a 90% success rate across the US. Patients will require some rehabilitation after surgery in order to gain strength in the knee and get used to their new joint.
Are you ready to walk away from chronic knee pain? Dr. Dickerson can listen to your struggles and perform an exam and testing to see if you’re a candidate for total knee replacement, or if other, less invasive procedures are recommended.
Contact Performance Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine today to schedule your knee pain consultation. We have two convenient offices to serve you in Toms River and Shrewsbury, New Jersey.
