Knee Surgery
Orthopedic Knee Surgery Columbia, SC
Common Knee Conditions
Knee pain and injuries are among the most common reasons for all age groups to visit an orthopedic practice. No matter how severe your injury is, knee problems can affect multiple aspects of your life, like work, athletics, and daily activities. Common conditions of the knee that our physicians see most frequently include:
- ACL tear
- PCL tear
- Arthritis
- Dislocation
- Meniscal Injuries
- Fractures
- Runners Knee
- IT Band Syndrome
Common Knee Injury Symptoms
Here are the most common signs of a knee injury. Some injuries have different levels of symptoms, and you may have more than one at the same time.
- Pain
- Swelling
- Difficulty climbing stairs or kneeling
- The knee may catch or lock
- Pain and swelling
When to See an Orthopedic Knee Surgeon
Knee pain can make it hard to walk, run, bend, and do other things you do every day. When the pain is severe and lasts for a long time, it’s probably time to see a knee specialist.
Depending on your knee injury, you may need to have imaging done to check for fractures, tears, and other issues within the joint. If your pain is due to knee arthritis, there may be treatment options for you to choose from depending on your symptoms.
Knee Injury Treatments
At Midlands Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, our team is dedicated to finding the right solution to help your knee pain. We have several options for both surgical and non-surgical techniques at each of our locations to help get you back to normal.
Some of the non-surgical treatments include:
- RICE Therapy – This is especially important, specifically right after a knee injury no matter what type of injury it is
- Rest – Don’t put weight on the painful knee
- Ice – use cold packs for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day, but do not apply ice directly on the skin
- Compression – Lightly wrap the injured knee in a soft dressing or ace wrap
- Elevation – While you’re resting, put the injured knee higher than your heart to help reduce swelling
- Immobilization – Your doctor might suggest that you wear a brace to stop your knee from moving. If you have broken a bone, a cast or brace may hold the bones in place while they heal
- Assistive devices – You might be given crutches, a cane, or a wheelchair to keep you from putting weight on your leg and further protect your knee
- Physical Therapy – Certain exercises and stretches will help your knee function again and strengthen the muscles in your legs that support it
Injections – Steroidal injections may be a good treatment to provide temporary pain and inflammation relief in the knee
Surgical treatments may include:
- Meniscal Repair Surgery
- ACL Repair Surgery
- Ligament Reconstruction Surgery
- Knee Arthroscopy
- MACI Knee Surgery
- Partial Knee Replacement
- Total Knee Replacement
When is it Time to Get a Knee Replacement?
Most knee replacements are done to help people with arthritis feel less pain. Most people who need knee replacement surgery have trouble walking, going up and down stairs, and getting out of chairs.
In some cases, injuries to the knee may require a knee replacement due to severe damage to the joint from trauma.
How Long is Knee Surgery Recovery?
This will depend on the type of surgery you may go through. Most people can do most of their normal activities and walk without help between three and six weeks after surgery if there are no complications.
Most of the time, it takes between three and six months to fully recover from a knee replacement.
As for an arthroscopic knee procedure, it will most likely take you about 6 weeks to get better. If your doctor repairs damaged tissue, like during ACL reconstruction, it will take longer to get better. You might have to limit what you do until your knee is strong and moves as it used to, and you may also need to be in a physical therapy program to get your strength back.
Knee Injury Care in South Carolina
If you have a knee injury or chronic pain and would like to meet with one of our physicians, call 803-256-4107 to schedule an appointment.
