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Non-Surgical Knee Repair is becoming more popular in today’s society. As the older population suffers from more knee osteoarthritis, more doctors are recommending non-surgical as opposed to surgical methods. More people have found that using nonsurgical techniques does not always result in a quick recovery and may not be as effective in some cases. This is especially true for sports related injuries. Many researchers believe that knee osteoarthritis can occur even with exercise and some doctors are recommending this type of treatment.
Many doctors recommend this form of non-surgical knee repair because it is less invasive and takes less time. This type of treatment can help reduce pain and make healing faster for athletes who have suffered a knee injury. Orthopedic surgeons are recommended to perform surgery if the injury results in the loss of motion in the knee, cannot be fixed through physical therapy, or if there is a chance of future injury. However, there is growing evidence that non-surgical knee repair is becoming more common.
Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
One type of non-surgical knee repair is arthroscopic knee surgery. With arthroscopic surgery, the surgeon inserts a tiny camera into the joint to get a better view of the bones surrounding it. They are then able to look at the bones and cartilage and determine which part needs fixing. This type of surgery is used for both minor and long-term injuries. The long-term goals of arthroscopic knee surgery include increasing the joint mobility, eliminating swelling, and getting rid of any bone spurs that can build up.
In the field of orthopedics, the latest development is the arthroscopic knee surgery. This procedure is a new development in the field of orthopedics that has proved very effective in treating some types of joint pains and conditions like osteoarthritis in the knee. Arthroscopic knee surgery involves doctors cutting open the skin of the affected joint and removing a small piece of cartilage to make space for the injured joint to heal. Other doctors use laser technology to burn away excess fat and other substances that block cartilage and reduce friction in the knee joint.
The Cortisone Injection
Another popular non-surgical knee repair method is injecting cortisone to shrink swollen blood vessels. When a person has been injured, the cartilage cushioning the bones breaks down. When this happens, the bones grow to fast and the cartilage becomes brittle. Sometime the cartilage can also become damaged when it is repaired. This causes the person’s knee to become inflamed and injured even more.
Many people think of injections when they think of non-surgical knee repair, but this option isn’t right for everyone. Instead, many doctors are recommending stem cell therapy as a treatment for osteoarthritis. This method is still in early development, but stem cell therapy does offer hope to some patients with osteoarthritis. Stem cells are found in the bone marrow and they help repair the damage that osteoarthritis can cause. Stem cell therapy is one of the treatments being done today, but patients must remember to consult their doctors first. Only the doctor can make sure the procedure will help them with their specific case.
The Orthopedic Cell Therapy
Another type of non-surgical treatment that some people are considering is orthopedic cell therapy. This treatment is for osteoarthritis in the knee that is caused by wear and tear on the meniscus or the joint ball between the two bones in the knee. Orthopedic cell therapy uses tiny needles that are injected into the meniscus.
One example of this procedure is using a chemical known as calcitonin to stimulate bone formation in the joint between the bones and the shoulder. People suffering from shunt position – where the front of the knee does not bend at all, causing a severe bursitis condition – have benefited from using this procedure to rebuild cartilage. Doctors have also used it to treat shoulder injuries and osteoarthritis. One of the problems people with shunt position tend to face is that their knees sometimes hurt even after an exercise session. Doctors are using this procedure to treat patients who are suffering from shunt position because of this pain.
Non-Surgical Knee Repair Techniques
Non-Surgical Knee Repair consists of many techniques, but they all aim at making the patient experience less pain and disability. After suffering from a tear, the blood flow to the knee is restricted and it takes some time to heal. This can lead to pain even after the repair has been done. For this reason, it is important for patients to have the right diet and nutrition to ensure good healing. During the time of repairing a torn meniscus, the patient must avoid further activities that can aggravate the pain or cause tears. This includes sports, strenuous exercises, strenuous activities that require a lot of jumping and running.
Non-Surgical Knee Repair can also be done in cases of meniscal osteoarthritis. MCL or Meniscus Collapse is the term given for a meniscus tear. The meniscus can easily collapse if the force through which it is held up is very high. This condition can happen when there is a sudden acceleration or deceleration in an activity or when a person is doing a sudden twist.
Surgical Meniscal Repair
Surgical Meniscal Repair can also be done in cases where there are no signs of any infection, bleeding or tearing but there are side effects of pain, swelling and weakness. These side effects can be prevented by opting for non-surgical methods that can delay healing response. In such instances, the knee joint will be provided with a cushioning effect that reduces pain and improves the functioning of the knee.
When non-surgical methods fail to provide any relief in case of arthritis, the only option left with the doctors is to look at using cortisone. Cortisone injections are usually given on a three-fold basis. Firstly, it can be given to relieve pain; secondly, it can be given to reduce inflammation in the damaged meniscus; and thirdly, it can be given as a supplement to the healing response. This process of treatment lasts for about one to two weeks.
The main advantage of this method of treating arthritis is that it does not cause any side effects. Also, the time taken for complete healing is lesser than that of other types of treatment such as surgery, fixation of replacement ligament and replacement of the osteoarthritic disc. However, non-surgical treatment does not provide a long term cure for arthritis. All treatments should be taken only as a temporary measure to avoid any permanent damage to the joints. It has been seen that the most ideal option is the shoulder replacement with a cortisone shot.