Treatments

Cartilage is the coating that protects the bones in your joints. Over time, or as the result of injury, it can become damaged or torn.

Depending on the extent of the injury or wear, surgery will typically involve smoothing, trimming and replacing pieces of worn or damaged cartilage.

While minor damage to the cartilage can heal by itself, more serious injuries require surgical treatment. For example, if your injury is limiting your range of motion and impacting on your day-to-day life, for instance if you can’t bear weight on the affected leg, or are experiencing pain when resting, you may well need surgery to regain movement and have a full recovery.

You may also need surgery if the torn cartilage is affecting other structures within the knee and leading to pain and inflammation.

Similarly, if you have had a course of physiotherapy, and this not improved your symptoms, then surgery is a route that your doctor might suggest in order to get you back to a full and active life.

Cartilage surgery is usually carried out as a minimally invasive, keyhole procedure to ensure minimum damage to the surrounding tissue. 

The use of keyhole surgery means there is less scarring and a recovery is quicker.

Hip replacement surgery would be considered as an option if the damage from wear and tear or disease is limiting your day-to-day activities and causing severe pain, even while resting.

You may be offered hip replacement surgery if:

• You’re in severe pain, with swelling and stiffness in your hip joint that greatly reduces your mobility
• Your hip pain is so severe, it interrupts your sleep and reduces the overall quality of your day-to-day life
• Day-to-day tasks have become difficult or impossible to carry out
• The pain and lack of mobility have left you feeling depressed
• You are unable to work or have a functioning social life
• You're in good enough health to cope with a major operation and the subsequent rehabilitation demands

Most people enjoy significant reduction in pain and a much-improved range of motion in their hip following surgery.

Knee arthroscopy tends to be common among older age groups. As we age, the more wear and tear our knees are exposed to, and the more likely we are to develop painful conditions.

However, younger people with very active lifestyles can also develop knee pain through overuse and injury. In those cases, arthroscopy can help us to identify the source of your pain and treat it.

While we’ve touched on some of the advantages of arthroscopy above, here’s a summary of the patient benefits:

• Faster recovery
• Fewer stitches
• Less bleeding
• Less post-operative pain
• Lower risk of infection
• Reduced tissue damage
• Quicker discharge and faster recovery

It’s an incredibly useful diagnostic tool, and it’s also used to treat a range of common knee problems from repairing worn or damaged cartilage to removing cysts.

It reduces the need for open surgery, meaning less damage to surrounding tissue, less post-operative pain and a quicker recovery for the patient.

Knee replacement surgery is usually necessary when the damage from wear and tear or disease is greatly limiting your mobility and causing severe pain, even while you’re resting.

You may be offered knee replacement surgery if:

• You’re in severe pain, with swelling and stiffness in your knee joint that greatly reduces your mobility
• Your knee pain is so severe, it interrupts your sleep and reduces the overall quality of your day-to-day life
• Day-to-day tasks have become difficult or impossible to carry out
• The pain and lack of mobility have left you feeling depressed
• You are unable to work or have a functioning social life

One of the most common causes is osteoarthritis, caused by the bones’ protective tissue, articular cartilage, wearing away over time. 

Partial knee replacement is often used in younger patients with arthritis, allowing them to keep more of their original knee joint.

Similarly, if the arthritis only affects one side of the joint, the patient might benefit from a partial knee replacement that allows them to preserve the unaffected area.

As a partial knee replacement requires a smaller incision, it's can be a good alternative to total knee replacement for some patients.

It causes less damage to the bones and patients typically enjoy a faster recovery.

As well as relief from pain, other benefits of a partial knee replacement include:

• Improved range of motion
• Less damage to the surrounding tissue
• Less invasive surgery
• Lower risk of complications
• Faster rehabilitation and recovery
• Preservation of healthy bone and ligaments
• Reduced blood loss
• Reduced post-operative pain