Knee Surgery

Knees are special joints. On the outside, they seem like pretty simple hinges. They bend one way and don’t do much else. On the inside, though, it’s an entirely different story. The knee joint is complicated and delicate. It consists of three different bones, along with muscles, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, meniscal pads and fluid sacs called bursae. All together, these small and vulnerable components are burdened with more stress than most other joints in the body combined (after all, they have the responsibility of supporting all of your body weight with every step you take).

5 Things You Need to Know

  1. A lot can go wrong with a knee, so it only makes sense that there are many different types of knee surgery. Some of the most common knee surgeries include arthroscopic surgery, ACL surgery and total knee replacement.
  2. A total knee replacement involves surgically replacing your knee joint with an artificial joint. The procedure can take up to two hours.
  3. Knee arthroscopy is a surgical procedure that is minimally invasive (especially when compared to other reconstructive surgery like hip replacement surgery). It involves making a small incision in the knee joint and then inserting a small camera so that the surgeon can assess the damage. Once it has been determined what injuries exist, several more small incisions are made and the surgeon goes in to repair the damage (often, this involves removing pieces of loose tissue). Most patients go home from the hospital later that day.
  4. It generally takes four to six weeks to recover from a minor knee surgery. For major surgery, it can take six months.
  5. Over 90 percent of people who have had knee surgery report an improvement in knee function and a decrease in pain.

3 Questions You Need to Ask Your Doctor

  1. Am I a good candidate for knee surgery?
  2. How long will the recovery process take?
  3. How much motion will I regain in my knee after the surgery?

Also Known As: ACL surgery, MCL surgery, arthroscopy

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