The Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) was created in 2002 to begin collecting information on a large group of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions in order to improve research and treatment. Since then this group has included over 4,400 participants from many surgical centers, and more than 40 publications have […]
Total knee replacement (TKA) is a surgery which has been increasing in frequency in recent years. In addition, hospital stays have shortened and people are heading home sooner than in the past. This means that the role of rehabilitation has become more important for these folks, and therapists who travel […]
Transfusions of packed red blood cells are fairly common for patients undergoing surgery, especially for a total hip or total knee replacement, due to blood loss during the procedure. Some studies have shown rates for blood transfusion with a joint replacement to be between eighteen and sixty-eight percent. There has […]
Let’s face it, walking or climbing up and down stairs, moreover prolonged or pounding exercise can make our knees hurt. So why would we want to do more exercises to reduce knee pain? Dr. Clijsen and his Swiss team of academic research scientists and Physical Therapists were determined to find […]
It is known that knee joint laxity is a risk factor that predisposes a knee to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear and a late failure of ACL reconstruction. Knee hyperextension and a large amount of tibial outward rotation are risk factors for poor outcome after ACL reconstruction. Reseachers have […]
An ACL tear does not necessarily mean surgery. A recent study found that surgical and nonsurgical treatment for ACL tears have about the same outcomes at a two year follow-up. The study took 143 participants with ACL tears less than three months old and followed them through their treatment over a […]
Articular Cartilage is a cushing agent in your joints and overtime it can degenerate for a host of reasons and it has limited inherent ability for repair. There are many options for surgical treatment of knee pain that is caused by cartilage degeneration. A lot of research is being done […]
ACL rupture affects an estimated 35 people per 100,000 and can increase based on gender and activity. Female athletes face a two to eight times increase in risk of ACL rupture compared to their male counterparts. With numbers like this, it is not wonder that the annual estimated health care […]
Total knee arthroplasty or total knee as it is commonly called, is surgery that is being performed more and more frequently, with more and younger people opting for a total knee. It is estimated that by 2030 people younger than 65 will make up one million of the total knee […]
A recent review of the most up-to-date research found that large cartilage tears at the knee joint are best repaired with donations from cadavers. The review found that a technique called Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation,. or OCA, is versatile in terms of what kinds of repairs it can help and has […]
Every five years or so the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), along with a cohort of other professions (like physicians and physical therapists) publish a guideline to treat certain conditions based on the latest and greatest evidence. These guidelines offer a quick look into what’s proven to work, what […]
Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are one of the more common injuries impacting young athletes. The impacts are not only physical in nature but have psychological components and add financial stress as well. As the prevalence of youth participating in sports has increased, ACL injuries have also increased. Some research estimates […]
Physicians are changing how they manage meniscal tears, according to a recent study that reviewed treatment methods over a seven year period. Often when new evidence shows a better way to treat a problem it takes years for surgeons to alter their practice methods. This study concluded that surgeons have […]
While wisdom, self-confidence, and the ability to go easy oneself often increases with age, the physical body is not always so kind. As Dolly Parton once said, Time marches on and sooner or later you realize it is marching across your face. But time also has a way of creating […]
Arthroscopic examination and surgery of the knee have become mainstays in the diagnosis and treatment of knee problems. Yet every knee is slightly different in shape and the position of vital structures (e.g., blood vessels and nerves may vary from person to person). Depending on the position of the knee […]
Orthopedic surgeons from the United Kingdom have proven for themselves that cementless unicompartmental knee replacements are as good (if not better) than cemented implants of the same type. They conducted this preliminary study using the Oxford unicompartmental knee replacement. The study was partially funded by the company (Biomet) that makes […]
The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is one of two ligaments that criss-cross inside the knee joint to hold the two leg bones (femur and tibia) together. The second (more commonly injured) ligament is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). These two ligaments provide stability to the knee joint while still allowing […]
Patients with painful arthritic knees may wrestle with the decision to have them replaced one at a time (two separate surgeries and rehab) or both at the same time. The proposed advantages of the simultaneous bilateral knee replacements are decreased costs and shorter recovery time. The results (or outcomes) are […]
Researchers at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) have performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on ways to prevent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. This is important because so many of today’s sports injuries affect the ACL. Players can be sidelined for months (sometimes longer). In fact, it is estimated […]
With more and more adults getting knee replacements, analysts are taking a closer look at the costs versus benefits to the individual patient and to society. Society can include employers and insurance providers (payers). You are a part of “society” in this sense if you pay taxes that finance Medicare, […]