PROCEDURES

Undertaken as day case surgery, a viewing arthroscope is inserted into the knee. This permits repair or excision of torn menisci, treatment and assessment of articular cartilage defects and removal of loose fragments of bone or articular cartilage from within the knee joint.

Rupture typically occurs due to substantial twisting injury rendering the knee unstable and prone to giving way episodes. The procedure involves removal of the torn cruciate ligament remnants and reconstruction employing hamstring tendon or patellar tendon graft held by two interference screws as shown.

In young, high demand patients with isolated medial osteoarthritis, knee replacement is not an option due to the high stresses placed upon the implant. An alternative is a limb realignment procedure or High Tibial Osteotomy, which offloads the affected compartment and utilises the healthy lateral compartment for load bearing.

Osteoarthritic pain within the knee may necessitate knee replacement, however, the disease may affect only one of the three load bearing compartments within the knee. Under these circumstances only the affected compartment may be replaced.