Hip & Knee
Overview
The hip and knee joints handle some of the body’s most important physical requirements. Therefore, when injuries or medical conditions develop, it’s crucial to seek an experienced orthopaedic specialist.
Under the leadership of J. Dean Cole, MD, a noted orthopaedic traumatologist, the Florida Hospital Orthopaedic Institute Fracture Care Center (FCC) quickly diagnoses and treats many hip and knee joint conditions. Drs Cole, Vickaryous and Hawks, practice a minimally invasive approach to orthopaedic surgery. Among the most common MIS options available are those for arthritis treatment and joint replacement and reconstruction.
Hip/Knee Joints Defined
While the hip joints and knee joints are very different regions, they do share some similarities. Both are surrounded by multiple connective tissues and organs, including: bones, joints, muscles, and nerves. And both are responsible for key bodily functions. The hip (or “acetabular”) joints support the body’s weight, whether when remaining still (“static”) or when moving (“dynamic”). The hips also permit leg mobility, and transmit upper body loads to the thighs and lower legs.
Meanwhile, the knee (“coxa”) joints, the body’s largest, also support the body’s weight. But as the knee joints form a pivotal hinge, they enable different types of movement, including: flexion (“flexing”), extension (“extending”), and limited rotation. Among all joints, the knees are actually the most vulnerable, particularly to acute injury and degenerative conditions, such as osteoarthritis.
Whether you’re experiencing an injury or condition affecting the hips or knees, you may benefit from contacting the Fracture Care Center. Our physicians can ensure a return to a functional, enjoyable lifestyle, with a faster recovery and fewer complications. If you’re dealing with pain or discomfort, we encourage you to contact us.
Treatments
High Tibia Osteotomy (Realignment of the Knee)
When dealing with musculoskeletal injuries or conditions, it’s not uncommon for patients to be left with limbs of uneven lengths. This malaligment requires immediate treatment, as the damage can worsen, affecting movement and overall health. Our physicians utilize two procedures to treat knee fracture cases: limb lengthening procedures and another highly specialized procedure, “high tibia osteotomy.”
High tibia osteotomy, or “realignment of the knee,” is a minimally invasive procedure designed to redistribute the wear to the opposite side of the damaged knee. If performed early enough, this knee fracture treatment has been found to eliminate the development of painful arthritis. And while ineffective for normal cartilage wear, patients who have undergone this procedure may still qualify for total knee replacements.
Typically, knee realignments are recommended when early arthritis in the knee(s) has developed. However, this knee fracture treatment may help those with bow legs, as well. The surgeons at the Fracture Care Center, under the leadership of J. Dean Cole, MD, also perform a similar procedure, known as the “Distal Femur Osteotomy,” for conditions involving valgus deformities (“knock-knees”).
Patients who undergo knee realignments generally require an overnight hospital stay. In most cases, there is no need for casts or splints, although walkers or crutches, and possibly knee immobilizers, may be necessary.
Hip & Knee Replacements
Despite our best efforts, hips and knees are subject to injuries and debilitating conditions, as well as normal, long-term deterioration. For these scenarios, hip and/or knee joint replacements and reconstructions may provide effective relief and treatment. These procedures are recommended when patients’ joints have degenerated, often due to advanced arthritis. Besides causing pain and discomfort, arthritis affects patients’ overall health and lifestyle. Along with the shoulders, joint replacements may be the most effective option for arthritis of the hips and knees.
Fortunately, our physicians are premiere orthopaedic practitioners of hip and knee joint replacements, particularly the most complex cases. Through thier preference for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), the Fracture Care Center’s orthopedic specialists have amassed a high surgical success rate. In fact, these procedures are among the Center’s most popular, attracting patients from all over the country and the globe.
Minimally Invasive Joint Replacement Surgery
With minimally invasive procedures, larger incisions are avoided, enabling patients’ bones and soft tissues to be continually supplied with blood during their procedures. This speeds up the healing process and recovery time, and also minimizes infection and complication risks more common with the traditional open approach. These benefits are crucial for joint replacements, in which damaged or arthritic joints are actually replaced with prostheses (artificial joints).
To qualify for hip or knee replacements at the FCC, patients must undergo a thorough evaluation process. While multiple treatment options exist, only the Center’s experienced surgeons can determine and recommend the proper minimally invasive surgical solution.
These procedures are very effective, as the implants are shaped to enable joint movement similar to healthy natural joints. With the traditional open surgical approach to joint replacements, there is a large incision. This often results in severe pain and weakness at the surgical site, causing the patient to refrain from movement. However, the Center’s physicians’ expertise with minimally invasive hip and joint replacements provides our patients with less pain and discomfort. They also enjoy a much quicker return to normal movement and an active lifestyle.
At the Fracture Care Center, our surgeons may advise a variety of hip and knee replacement implants, depending on the nature and severity of the injury or condition. The materials used for joint replacement implants usually consist of stainless steel and plastic, along with bone cement for adhesive purposes. To treat hip fracture cases, patients may undergo “hemi” (half) or total replacements. However, total hip replacement may be necessary, to replace both the acetabulum and the femoral head.
A knee replacement procedure will help to relieve the pain and discomfort of osteoarthritis, along with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Patients may also require knee joint replacement surgery due to tears of the meniscus, cartilage and ligaments. And like the hips, patients may require either partial or total joint replacement.
With these procedures, the FCC surgeons replace the knees’ diseased or damaged joint surfaces with metal and plastic components. These new parts are shaped to enable normal knee movements. But as these are minimally invasive surgical procedures, patients are spared the substantial postoperative pain, and long-term physical rehabilitation associated with the traditional open approach, even with the most complex cases.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact us.