KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY IMPLANT FIXATION METHODS

There are four ligaments that will ensure the knee joint works correctly. Their job is to assist hold the bones in place. When the knee is sound then they are very effective. However, when a knee joint deteriorates, say due to joint disease, damage and scarring can develop to these ligaments. The objective of knee replacement surgery is to replace some or all of these ligaments and also the surfaces of the knee joint by synthetic components or prostheses. These prostheses need help to stay in place and two types of implant fixation techniques can be used – cemented or cementless.  With both methods knee rehabilitation exercises to help speed up recovery are important.

CEMENTLESS FIXATION METHOD

Cementless fixation was first unveiled in the 1980’s and entails making use of implants whose surfaces are attractive to new bone growth so that they would attach to the bone without using any kind of cement or adhesive. In other words the new bone grows into the specially coated surface of the implant. Cementless implants do require using screws to aid the stability of the implant until the new bone grows sufficiently to provide adequate support. Because it is essential to wait for the new bone to grow into the implant and because of the use of the supporting screws, recovery time is more lengthy than if using a cemented fixation technique. Even though this procedure has proved as effective as cemented fixation in many cases, it has not solved the problems a result of bone reduction and wear in the implant (see below).

CEMENTED FIXATION METHOD

The most common method these days is cemented fixation in which a polymethylmethacrylate cement, a special fast curing bone cement, is used to hold them in place. Knee replacements performed using this method have had excellent outcomes with an expected life of 15 to 20 years. In the other method, cementless fixation, the actual bone is encouraged to actually grow into the surface of the implant.  Bone reduction and wear of the implant is also an issue with this method.  Nonetheless, despite these issues, which are rare but not unknown, cemented fixation has turned out to be to be a most reliable technique in total knee replacement in most cases including in young patients who have an energetic lifestyle and where joint disease was relatively advanced.

ISSUES

How long a knee replacement lasts and how well it functions are determined by the overall health and weight of the recipient as well as the amount of use the knee joint gets and the stresses placed on it by this use. Weight management is very important in reducing wear and in lessening the risk of other conditions.

When orthopedic knee replacement surgery is carried out, the harder bone at the top of the tibia or shinbone is removed. The softer more porous bone that is left must absorb the stresses that your knee joint is put under, which under normal use can be considerable. If these stresses are greater than this bone is capable of absorbing then the metal alloy components of the prosthesis can loosen. Over a period of time, these kinds of excessive loads may well cause the prosthesis to sink into the softer bone tissue or loosen its adhesion to the bone.

Loosening of the prosthesis and sometimes bone reduction can be a result of the polyethylene layer between the metal components wearing unevenly. This may be caused by an uneven gait where by the knee is subjected to uneven loads leading one side of the knee implant to push into the bone whilst the other side lifts off from the bone. This uneven wear may also cause tiny particles of the polyethylene layer to rub off. This “debris” may cause the body to set off a biological reaction that could cause further movement of the knee implant. Bone loss may also be a direct result this. What happens then is that the surrounding cells absorb these minute particles. The body’s immune system senses this and attempts to eliminate them by triggering an inflammatory response. This response may also cause osteolysis, a condition where the cells essentially take away some of the bone from around the prosthesis. As wear increases so does the bone loss and the weakened bone causes the implant to loosen more.

CONCLUSION

It seems that both methods are successful in total knee replacement surgery. Having said that, the use of cementless implants has only been relatively recent and so long term comparisons of the two methods are unavailable but in the short term, it would seem that the success rates are comparable.

Technorati Tags: implant fixation techniques, joint disease, knee replacement surgery, orthopedic knee surgery, total knee replacement surgery

Why are our knees so prone to injury especially to knee ligament injuries?

Knees are prone to injury for several reasons: they are extremely complicated being made up of tendons, cartilage, bone and ligaments, they take a lot pounding by our body and by what we do.  They are load bearing and are subject to damage from falls and knocks.

Some of the symptoms and causes of the more common knee injuries are listed below.

Symptom:  The knee is swollen, sore to touch and painful when moved.
Cause:  Possible torn cartilage or torn ligaments or the ligament or cartilage under the knee cap has softened.

Symptom:   Acute pain at the back of the knee and it hurts to stretch your leg.
Cause:  Possible torn hamstring.

Symptom:  The knee is sore all the time, the knee joint is hard to move and the knee is unstable when weight is put on it. 
Cause:  Possible torn meniscus.  The meniscus is the cushioning cartilage at the ends of the bones in the knee joint.

Symptom:  A dull ache in the knee accompanied by swelling.
Cause:  Possible damage to the articular cartilage.  Sometimes this is caused by a bodily injury or plain old wear and tear.

Symptom:  Instability of the knee which may tend to give way when weight is placed on it, the knee makes a "popping" sound, swelling of the knee and soreness when standing that may actually prevent you from doing so.
Cause:  Possible anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury or Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury.  ACL knee injury is more common.  Out of interest, this is the common injury we hear a lot about in dogs.

Symptom:  The knee changes in shape.
Cause:   Possible fracture inside the knee or torn ligaments.

Symptom:  Swelling of the knee, pain in the knee joint, the knee is unstable when weight is put on it and reduced mobility.
Cause:  Hyperextension of the knee joint. A common injury in many sports that involve jumping and turning where the knee joint is forced to extend past it’s usual straightened position.  This can occur due to heavy bodily contact or simply by landing awkwardly.

Symptom: Long term pain, stiffness and swelling of the knee joint.  These symptoms are often worse in the colder months.
Cause:  Possible osteoarthritis.

Symptom:  Swelling at the back of the knee.
Cause:  Possible Bakers Cyst.

Symptom:  Soreness and swelling and the kneecap is painful to touch and you are aged somewhere between 12 and 18 years.
Cause:  Possible Osgood-Schlatter Disease.  Many males are affected by this when they have growth spurts in their teenage years.

Symptom:  Acute pain between the shinbone and the kneecap when participating in strenuous activities like running or jumping with the pain persisting after the activity.
Cause:  Possible Tendinitis, an injury to the tendon that joins the kneecap to the shinbone and usually caused by excessive strenuous activities.

Symptom:  Pain in the knee and a grinding feeling when the knee joint is moved.  The knee sometimes locks up.
Cause:  Possible torn cartilage.

Although these are quite common knee injuries, it does not mean they should be ignored.  If you suffer from any of these symtoms then I recommend you consult your medical practitioner to get treatment for knee pain.

Young Athletes Most at Risk of Knee Injuries

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Structured warm-ups benefit young athletes at knee injury risk

Insights from a Orthopedic Surgeon with 20 years of experience specializing in the treatment of knee injuries and disease, answers to FAQs, and occasional insights into the practice of medicine and gratification of patient care. 

Lacrosse Knee Injuries

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Jewel and Nancy O’Dell out of DWTS over knee injuries

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Knee injuries in sports-women

Due to anatomical differences at the lower end of the thigh bone, sportswomen are more likely to suffer from bilateral knee ligament injuries. 

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Even though orthopedic knee surgery is a major operation the rehabilitation process commences almost immediately.

Prior to the knee surgery operation your orthopedic surgeon will discuss with you everything about the recovery period and what you should do to ensure the best possible recovery results. You’ll learn that knee replacement recovery can take from between six and eight weeks. In that period of time there will be certain exercises for you to do to help in the recovery process.  He will also discuss other things such as pain management, driving etc.

After the knee surgery operation you will be advised to keep your leg elevated and for a short period of time ice packs may be applied to help reduce swelling.

Usually within a day or two of the knee operation you will be expected to put weight on the knee and to start walking. Initially this will only be for short periods of time.  You will also be given other total knee replacement exercises to do to assist in your recovery.  You may have to do these exercises and others for 2 to 3 months.

When you first start to walk you will not be expected to do so unaided.  You should have access to a walker or crutches to help you.  Your orthopedic therapist will also be with you to advise and help.  It is important for your knee replacement recovery that you put as much weight on the knee as possible without it becoming uncomfortable.  However, if the pain becomes too much or swelling occurs then you are probably doing too much.  

You may experience some pain in the knee joint following the knee surgery.  This is completely normal and medication to relieve the pain should be available to you.  Once the pain ceases you should stop taking the pain medication.

Driving should not be attempted for at least 7 days after surgery and before commencing to drive consult with your therapist or doctor to ensure that it is OK to do so.

If you feel that recovery is not occurring as you feel it should, you feel an excessive amount of pain in your knee, it feels hot or there are signs of excessive swelling then consult with your doctor or orthopedic specialist.

For most people recovery from total knee replacement surgery is routine and complications are rare.

Arthritis Knee Surgery

Compared to complete knee replacement, this procedure needs more tiny cuts and has more rapid recovery.

Feilhaber’s Knee Surgery

Feilhaber, who had only a single hour-long appearance for the Danes before the latest knee woe knocked him out of action is targeting an on-field return after the winter break.

Woods pleased with recovery from knee surgery

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) Tiger Woods wore sneakers instead of spikes.

Tom Brady Behind Schedule For Knee Surgery Recovery                                                                                Tom Brady Behind Schedule For Knee Surgery Recovery

How To Have A Successful Total Knee Operation Recovery

Below we will discuss some of the issues involved in recovering and rehabilitating from this orthopedic surgery.

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The solution to people with knee problems can be a mix of medication and proper diet. For more serious cases, knee surgery may become inevitable. This means that the entire knee will have to be replaced with an artificial joint so that they can walk again without pain. Unfortunately, it may be more difficult for people who are considered to be obese to enjoy the long-term effects of surgery. There are even experts that say obesity and knee replacement do not particularly mix well.

Why Knee Replacement Is Important

The joints that make up our knees are cushioned and protected by a material called cartilage. It is the same organic material our ears are made of. Factors such as too much fast food and sports like running or basketball can contribute to the reduction of cartilage in the knee. The problem results to the joints not moving properly and excruciating pain.

Obesity can even play a part in the degradation of the knee. As mentioned above, certain foods that cause obesity in general can also affect the cartilage. Furthermore, the knee of an obese person is under more weight and pressure compared to a healthier individual, increasing the possibilities of osteoarthritis.

How Can Obesity Affect Knee Replacement?

Arthroplasty or knee replacement is considered a major surgery. Hence, there are several tests that patients are required to take to make sure that they fit to be on the operation table. These tests include a blood-clotting test and electrocardiogram or ECG, among others. These tests may reveal other conditions that may affect the success of the operation .

This is where obese patients usually have a problem. Due to their weight condition, it is more likely that they also have high blood pressure and heart ailments. This means doctors will have to take extra precaution during the actual surgery. It is even possible that surgery will not be an option once obese patients have been found to have other medical problems.

Issues after the Knee Surgery

Even if the surgery becomes successful, obesity can still become a major hurdle during the recovery period. The existing conditions of the patient may delay the complete healing of the wounds and how the artificial knee adapts to the leg. Most importantly, physical rehabilitation may be longer for people who are weight challenged.

It will actually take more time for them to get back the strength of the muscles and bones. Because of their weight, they are mostly likely to be given continuous passive motion or CPM treatments, so they and their artificial knees can start physical exercises without so much strain.

Aside from the long recovery, certain studies have shown that 1 out of 10 obese people who had arthroplasty found that the surgery was not successful after five or six years. This is because the additional weight caused more stress on the artificial joint. This caused the joints to develop stiffness or malfunction altogether. This is a stark contrast to the 100 percent success rates of knee surgery on people who are not obese.

A strict doctor ordered rehabilitation always follows knee replacement surgery. Unfortunately, this rehab is only enough to give you some mobility and get back part of your life. They don’t expect people with knee replacements to have the full abilities like they once did, so they don’t even try. With the right exercise and routines, though, you can have that life back, despite what the doctors tell you. Take the time to learn about rehabilitation from knee replacement surgery, and how you can ease your fear of living a sedentary life by taking action.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Seaman

How can obesity impact a persons health?

However, this is one of the very minor problems of obesity. Excessive weight bearing on the knee and ankle joints is a major cause of the wear and tear that occurs in joints.

Weight Loss Forum-Obesity

I developed horrible arthritic pain in my joints, and due to the medication I was taking and my metabolism basically crashing to hell, I gained nearly 100 lbs back.

How will Obesity Affect You and What Can You Do?

Extra weight will take a toll on your joints. Obesity has also been linked to gout, which is when uric acid that cannot be excreted collects in the joints of the toes. 

Technorati Tags: knee replacement surgery, knee surgery, Knee Surgery Recovery, obesity

Arthroscopic knee surgery is knee joint replacement surgery.  Basically there are two types of arthroscopic knee procedures:

• Total joint arthroplasty where both sides (shinbone and femur) of the knee joint are replaced and

• Hemiarthroplasty or partial knee replacement in which only one side of the knee joint is replaced.

Arthroscopic knee surgery is used to replace a damaged or diseased knee joint with an artificial joint.  This prosthesis is made from surgical grade plastics and metal alloys and is designed to work in the same way as bone and cartilage does and to behave in the same way as a healthy joint.

In this surgery, the orthopedic surgeon will remove the damaged or diseased parts of the bones that make up the knee joint.  In a healthy knee joint the surfaces of these bones rub together using cartilage to act as the buffer between them.  In total knee replacement surgery the surgeon will remove the damaged surfaces of the three bones that rub together (the kneecap or patella, the thighbone or femur and the shinbone or tibia) and replace them the plastic or metal prostheses.  .  The surgery usually takes between 1 and 2 hours.

The components used in knee joint replacement surgery are designed to match the original bones that they replace.  The section of the femur or thighbone that is replaced is made of rounded metal alloy that is designed to closely match the curve of the natural femur.  A very smooth long wearing polyethylene plastic is used to replace the surface of the shinbone and act as knee cartilage.  This same material is used to replace the cartilage on the back of the kneecap.

The ultimate aim of this surgery is to replace the painful surfaces of the knee joint with new surfaces made from artificial materials.  The knee joint is then no longer painful and mobility is increased.  An added benefit is that joint deformities can sometimes also be corrected at the same time.

Knee surgery recovery is relatively quick and knee joint rehabilitation commences almost immediately after the orthopedic knee surgery.  Walking with the aid of crutches or a walker and knee physical therapy usually start within 24 hours of the operation and can take several weeks.  Generally many normal activities like climbing stairs and getting in and out of chairs can be attempted within a few days.  Knee replacement exercises are an important part of rehabilitation.

Orthopedic knee replacement surgery has a success rate of up to 95% with most knee implants functioning well for many years after surgery.  Most knee implants should last for about 15 years with moderate levels of activity.  However, continual strenuous activity can reduce the life of the knee implant.

Technorati Tags: arthroscopic knee surgery, knee cartilage, knee joint replacement surgery, knee operation, knee physical, knee replacement exercises, Knee Surgery Recovery, orthopedic surgeon, total knee replacement surgery

These knee injury exercises may assist in your recovery, however, commence them only if they can be endured without discomfort.

1  Isometrical muscular contraction of the Quads :While sitting on the floor extend your injured knee out in front of you and bend your other leg. Tighten the quads of the injured knee without moving your leg. (Try pushing down against the floor with the top of your leg). Hold this position for about ten seconds. Relax. Do this exercise 10 times.

2  Heel slips: Sit down on the floor with your legs extended outwards. Slowly bend the damaged knee and keeping while your heel on the floor, move your foot towards you. Repeat this ten times.

3  Prone knee flexures: Lay face down on the floor. Your legs should be straight and together. While bending your knee bring your heel back towards your buttocks. Hold for five seconds. Relax. Repeat ten times.

When you can stand on both legs and can place equal weight on each leg without any discomfort to the injured knee and any swelling has decreased you could try the following knee rehabilitation exercises.

4  Heel lifts: Stand up and place your hand on a chair to help balance. Keep your toes on the floor raise your heel and hold for five seconds. Lower your heel slowly to the floor.  Repeat ten times.

5  Half squats: Stand up facing a table and hold the table with both hands and place your feet about a shoulder’s width apart.  Slowly bend your knees and squat into the half squat position. Hold this position for about ten seconds. Slowly stand up and return to the original position.  Do this ten times.

6  Passive knee extensions: Sit in a chair and put your heel on another chair.  Ensure this chair is the same height. Relax your leg and straighten your leg. Hold this position initially for 1 minute an slowly increase the time to 2 minutes.  Do this a few times a day.  This exercise will stretch the hamstrings.

7  Knee extensions: tie one end of Theraband or elastic exercise tubing around one leg of a table and the other end around the ankle of your injured leg.  Face the tableand bend your knee to around 45 degrees against the resistance of the tubing and then relax and return to the starting position.  Repeat 10 times.

8  Standing on one leg: Only do this exercise when the swelling and pain in your injured knee has diminished and the your leg has regained some strength.  Stand unaided on the injured leg for ten seconds.

These exercises can be part of your acl physical therapy regimen and could assist in your ACL rehab.

ACL Knee Surgery Rehabilitation

An anterior cruciate ligament tear is a common sports injury that generally requires reconstructive knee surgery. A proper ACL injury rehabilitation program is vital.

ACL Reconstruction Rehabilitation

Since these publications, Kevin and I have continued to advance our ACL rehabilitation protocol.

ACL Rehab

hi guys! ive torn my front acl and the surgery is now 8 weeks ago. any experiences with it?

How to get through acl rehab

maybe some of his travel photography can inspire you to make no little plans when your acl is back and kicking.

Technorati Tags: acl, acl physical therapy, ACL rehab, acl rehabilitation, anterior cruciate ligament, ehab, exercises, injury, knee, knee rehabilitation exercises, ligament, physical, rehabilitation, tear, therapy

Your orthopedic surgeon should explain these terms to you but even then they can still be quite confusing.  Below is a list of common terms and their meanings that are often used by .

ANTERIOR – at the front of the body.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament – usually abbreviated to ACL is the ligament that connects the femur to the tibia.  Responsible for a large proportion of knee injuries.

ARTICULAR CARTILAGE – the covering of the moving inside surfaces of the knee.
ARTHROSCOPY – minimally invasive surgery routinely used in knee surgery to repair the knee or remove debris from the knee joint.

BONE SPURS  or Osteophytes – abnormal projections of bone most commonly caused by excessive stress on the ends of the bones.

CARTILAGE – the covering of the bones in a joint that allows the joint to move and also cushions the bone.

FEMUR - the thigh bone.

FIBULA – the outer bone in the leg between the ankle and the knee.

HAMSTRINGS – the muscles at the back of the thighs.

LIGAMENTS – the tissue that connects one bone to another.

MENISCUS – the cartilage that gives further cushioning to the knee joint.

MENISECTOMY – arthroscopic surgery to remove part of the meniscus.

OSTEOPHYTES – see bone spurs.

PATELLA – the kneecap, the flat bone at the front of the knee.

PATELLO FEMORAL JOINT – the joint under the kneecap.

PATELLA LIGAMENT – the ligament that secures the patella (knee cap) over the front of the knee joint.

POSTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT – usually abbreviated to PCL and is found behind the Cruciate ligament.

QUADRICEPS – the muscles located at the front of thighs.

SYNOVIAL MEMBRANE – the membrane that produces a lubricant (synovial fluid) to help knee move smoothly.

TIBIA – The shin bone.

These are the most common terms that your orthopaedic surgeon or the surgeon’s assistant may use but there are many more. 

Although orthopedic terminology can be confusing, the knowledge of a few of the more common terms will help in your understanding of the complex knee joint and impending orthopedic knee surgery.

Major knee surgery set for Leafs’ Van Ryn

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Adam Vinatieri Has Knee Surgery

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri was forced to undergo surgery on his right knee to remove some cartilage. Early Wednesday, the Colts announced the surgery. 

Knee Surgery Common Among Young Patients

Chronic pain management and support group dealing with Fibromyalgia, degenerative joint disease and other neurological disorders. 

Extensive Knee Surgery Ahead For Mike Van Ryn

Defenceman Mike Van Ryn is expected to announce that he has decided to undergo extensive knee surgery which could potentially spell the end of the 30-year old’s NHL career. continued.

Technorati Tags: knee, orthopedic, orthopedic knee surgery, Orthopedic physicians, Orthopedic Terminology, physicians, surgery, terminology

This first exercise is really good for those who suffer from conditions such as chondromalacia patella. This is an inflammation of the cartilage beneath the patella ‘knee cap’. This sometimes results because the bones and muscles on the knee are out of alignment.

Sit comfortably in a chair, you need to be relaxed. Bend your legs as you would normally sit on a chair with your feet on the ground and your legs bent at 90 degrees, tense your thigh and hold this position for 5 seconds the release, change legs are repeat. You need to do ten reps on each leg. I told you it was easy!
It is very important to remember to breath whilst doing these exercises.

The second exercise is a little more tricky but it does help build up the strength in your knee.
Sit in a chair again, then cross your bent legs at the ankle. Push your legs forward with the rear leg then push them back using the front leg. (At first this can seem a little tricky but it is really easy once you get used to it!).
Switch the position of your legs by changing the direction of the cross. If the right leg was in front, move it to the back. Repeat this exercise ten times for each position.

Calf Burns
Would you like to move onto to something a little more challenging?
For this next exercise avoid standing on a concrete or metal floor. If your balance is not to good you may be better to do the following exercise on a mat or carpet.
Making sure you are well balanced, stand up straight, toes a little apart, heels together.
Lift the heels, balancing on the balls of your feet. Imagine a string attached to the centre of your head pulling you up. Hold for 5 seconds, then lower slowly. Repeat 10 times. Over time, as you build strength and balance, increase the length of time you’re on the balls of the feet.
To change this exercise a little try bending your knees a little once you have raised your heels and are standing on the balls of your feet. This will also work your bottom as well as your hamstrings and quads. Again hold for 5 seconds then straighten your legs and lower your heels. Repeat for 10 reps.

If you can make sure you carry out these knee strengthening exercises a couple of days a week or better still daily, you will have strong, healthy knees in to time at all.

By: Lyndsay Whittaker

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Knee Strengthening Exercise

Many people end up having knee problems, especially as they get older. Why? Well, for many people, it is because they don’t have the muscular support that they.Knee Strengthening Exercises After Arthroscopic Surgery

How to Do Knee Strengthening Exercises After Arthroscopic Surgery at Home. After arthroscopic knee surgery, you have to re-strengthen your muscles around the knee. Knee Strengthening Exercises

The secret of knee protection revealed. Simple and easy to perform knee strengthening exercises. Knee Strengthening Exercises

Exercise your knees. Get strong and healthy knees for the rest of your life! 

Technorati Tags: exercises. exercizes, knee, knee rehabilitation, knee rehabilitation exercises, knee strengthening exercises, rehabillitation, strengthening, stretches

The use of a knee brace after this kind of procedure is a good idea. Although thee procedures are minimally invasive, the reconstructed ACL, for example can benefit from a knee support. These knee braces are significant because the support that they provide may be the difference needed to prevent a future knee surgery. Why take chances after your surgery?

References :

1.) NEJM — A Controlled Trial of Arthroscopic Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Knee". Retrieved on 2008-01-14.

By: Daniel Sims

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The DonJoy eXtreme Action Armor Knee

This article describes why custom knee braces are not necessarily better than off the shelf knee braces. If a person has relatively normal knee anatomy they will be well served by an off the shelf knee brace. Continue Reading.  

An Acl Knee Brace

Do you want to protect your knee from future injury?If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should very seriously consider the use of a well designed knee brace!

Ryan Donjoy Motocross Knee Brace

Knee Brace For Meniscus Tear in Bradwood DonJoy FullForce™ Knee Brace 

I picked up my ACL brace last Friday and put it to the test over the weekend.

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Knee microfracture surgery or knee cartilage regeneration is a method used to repair damaged cartilage.  This method of orthopedic knee surgery can be used in some instances instead of necessitating a full or partial knee replacement surgery.   It can also be used to relieve the pain associated from knee cartilage injuries, knee arthritis in its early stage, lesions on the knee cap and degenerative chondral lesions of the knee.

Simply put, it is cartilage that helps to cushion the bones in the joints.

This type of knee surgery is minimally invasive with only one small incision being made to the affected knee.  this small incision, usually only a quarter of an inch long is made and an arthroscope is inserted into the knee joint.  This apparatus allows the surgeon to see inside the joint using a micro camera and to work directly on the problem.  It is another type of arthroscopic knee surgery. 

Using an awl, a tool a bit like an ice-pick, the orthopedic specialist drills a series of tiny holes or "microfractures" directly into the bone surrounding the problem cartilage.  These tiny fractures causes the body to make new cartilage to replace the defective cartilage by causing bone marrow to seep from the microfractures that creates a blood clot.  This blood clot releases cells that rebuild cartilage.

Once the procedure has been completed knee surgery recovery is relatively fast with most patients being able to participate in sports and other strenuous and intense pastimes in around four months.
 
Physical therapy of the knee commences immediately the surgery is completed, usually in the recovery room, where a continuous passive motion machine is used to gently flex and extend the leg.  This CPM machine is used for periods up to 8 hours per day for a few weeks after surgery.  It is sometimes used while the patient is sleeping.  This sort of knee therapy is thought to sped up the cartilage regeneration process.

 
For the first six to eight weeks the knee joint should not be subject to any load bearing and so crutches are needed to assist with mobility.

Like any surgery there are risks like excessive bleeding and infection.  With proper care these are minimal.
Using microfracture surgery causes new cartilage to develop.  However, this new cartilage is not as durable as the original cartilage and has been known to break down after a few years.   The patient can also be left with increased stiffness in the knee joint.

Combining of arthroscopic knee surgery and microfracture knee surgery is becoming a recognised method of rebuilding cartilage.

Kerry Northey

Panthers look to Allen’s return from microfracture knee surgery.

The 29-year-old played only two games last season before he had to go for microfracture surgery on a knee, which caused him to miss the rest of the 2008-09 campaign. 

Microfracture Knee Surgery

Cartilage damage can lead to chronic knee pain. Athletes with this problem can benefit by microfracture surgery.  

Micro Fracture Surgery Versus Stem Cells

A physician compares the results of micro fracture for a knee cartilage lesion to stem cell injection. … It’s a brilliant advance over arthroscopic debridement (surgeries where cartilage is simply “cleaned up” by cutting it out). I think that in the future we may see stem cells placed in the joint after micro fracture surgery to aid healing and we’ll also see many non-surgical, stem cell based, injection options like the Regenexx procedure. 

Gregg’s Micro Fracture Surgery

It marked Gregg’s first regular-season game back on the field after missing last season when he underwent microfracture knee surgery. "It’s good to be back," Gregg said. "I was down and out. 

Did Cofield Have Microfracture Knee Surgery?

In the wake of New York Giants defensive lineman Fred Robbins’ disclosure that he had microfracture knee surgery before later removing the information from his blog.

Robbins needed microfracture surgery

He had microfracture knee surgery, which is a much more serious procedure than the scope that Cofield had. Robbins revealed the nature of his surgery on his own website. 

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