A path breaking solution to treat knee pain

27 January, 2013

Osteoarthritis or knee pain has alarmingly become the second biggest disease after diabetes affecting the country, as per recent studies. But now people suffering with knee pain can lead a pain free life with a new kind of knee surgery known as Minimally Invasive Knee Resurfacing Surgery.

In the initial stages the knee pain is treated with painkillers, injections and physiotherapy, but when these treatments fail to reduce the pain, the orthopedic surgeon suggests total knee replacement surgery. This surgery removes a damaged knee joint and replaces it with an artificial joint. But this Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery has many disadvantages like chances of infections, risk of blood clot, lessening of the implant etc.

But now the relatively new procedure known as minimally invasive knee resurfacing surgery, promises to be a better management for knee pain. It just takes an hour and there is no blood loss, no cement used and no bones cut. Minimally Invasive Knee Resurfacing Surgery involves only a 5-7 cm incision and then a chromium-cobalt implant is placed in between the knee joints.

Dr. P. Sharat Kumar, orthopedic surgeon from Apollo health city, Hyderabad told this citizen journalist , “Minimally Invasive Knee Resurfacing Surgery is not a new procedure; it was started in 2007 in Canada and the procedure comes under the category called 'ortho-glide'.”

Mr. Kumar added that this surgery is only effective for early to moderate knee pain or median joint pain and is not effective in severe joint pain.

The major advantages of Minimally Invasive Knee Resurfacing Surgery compared to Total Knee Replacement surgery are:

- The duration of the surgery is less

- Complications in the surgery are less

- Early re-habitation

- Post-operational surgery pain is less

- Cost of the surgery is 40 percent lesser than TKR

“Minimally Invasive Knee Resurfacing Surgery is not a complete replacement; it’s just an alternate option for TKR and in few cases, it’s a bridging to TKR. This new technique is good for young patients, for patients who are obese and those who are not fit for big surgeries,” Dr. Prabhat Lakkireddi, orthopedic surgeon, Apollo Hospitals told this citizen journalist.

Coming to the drawbacks of Minimally Invasive Knee Resurfacing Surgery, it can only be treated if the problem is in the inner half of the knee joint but not on the outer half. The surgery is a temporary option and needs to be repeated after ten years whereas TKR works for 15- 20 years.