As we get older, diseases like arthritis can attack us and can damage the structure of our knees. Or, being a pro-active sports person, it may happen that you injured ligaments or cartilage or your knees. In both situations, the most effective treatment is knee surgery. Don’t panic about the procedure and its complexities that you might be wondering. With the advancement of technology, knee surgery gives successful results and chances of complications have reduced significantly. Depending upon your injury, there are a number of surgeries available, among those; knee arthroscopy surgery provides faster recovery. If you have to undergo knee surgery, there are some things you should know. First, let us explain the two popular types of knee surgery.
Arthroscopy Knee Surgery – This process is done mainly to diagnose knee problems or to repair ligaments or remove fractured cartilage or bone. Incisions, sometimes several, are made around the knee, to create "portals" where an instrument called an arthroscope can be inserted to look into the inner knee. This is an outpatient procedure so you will be up and moving afterwards, however, complete recovery time is usually 6 to 8 weeks. You may need a cane or crutches to assist in walking. Limited activity, icing, and elevation of the leg are necessary for the post-op recovery period.
Arthroplasty Knee Replacement Surgery- This kind of knee replacement surgery is done to reconstruct the knee from internal damage to the knee structures, usually cartilage. Metal or plastic components are used to replace the worn cartilage. This is an inpatient hospital procedure and you will be there about a week. You will have physical therapy every day to stand/place weight on the knee; learn how to walk with crutches, before going home. About 3 weeks is needed to completely place weight on the artificial joint. This procedure usually also requires the patient to have a course of physical therapy to re-train the motion of the knee with its new artificial components.
