What is Knee Replacement
- More like Knee Resurfacing:
- Damaged cartilage is removed with a little bone
- A metal cap, like a cap on a tooth, is placed over the ends of the bone, with a plastic insert in between.
- Instead of bone rubbing on bone, you now have metal and plastic bearing, creating a smoother, hopefully pain-free surface.
When is it time for Knee Replacement?
- Persistent pain, difficulty with activities (like walking, climbing stairs), and decreased quality of life.
- Conservative treatments are no longer effective.
- Goal: To restore mobility, reduce pain, and improve overall life quality.
Surgery with Dr. Trevor Stefanski
Insicions
- Traditional Incision: Involves splitting and detaching the tendon from the kneecap, leading to longer recovery, more pain, and potential kneecap tracking issues.
- Minimally Invasive Incisions: Smaller, more compact. As small as possible but as big as needed to do the surgery right!
Muscle Sparing
- Traditional Parapatellar Approach: More than 90% of surgeons still use this approach, cutting the tendon, which can lead to more pain, swelling and slow recovery.
- Muscle Sparing Approach: Rather than splitting the tendon, the muscle is gently moved aside. This method is more technically demanding but results in less muscle disruption, faster recovery, and less post-op pain
Ligament Sparing
- Minimally Invasive Approach:
- Rather than splitting the tendon, the muscle is gently moved aside. This method is more technically demanding but results in less muscle disruption, faster recovery, and less post-op pain.
- “I aim to keep the incision as small as possible but will make it as large as needed to do it right for your long-term benefit.”