NON-OPERATIVE MANAGEMENT

ACUTE KNEE INJURIES

It is important to ensure that acute knee symptoms are given enough time to recover. The majority of acute knees problems need treatment for the swelling to settle and then exercises for movement to be regained before any underlying symptoms are appreciated. If your MRI scan is reassuring then surgery won’t be needed.

ONGOING KNEE PAIN

Treatment comes in the form of:

– Physiotherapy for strength and conditioning

– Braces for support or realignment

– Knee injectables for anti-inflammatory or barrier effects

With each management option there will be risks and benefits. Clinical examinations and investigations can help guide non-operative treatments such as the use of a knee brace alongside knee strengthening and conditioning with physiotherapy. This is proven to give some symptom relief.

Rehabilitation is an important part of coping with early and progressive knee arthritis. Click here to take you to a section covering this is detail.

It may be that you have already exhausted options available via an arthroscopic ‘keyhole’ approach or found these aren’t suitable for your knee problem. The next surgical step may therefore be more invasive surgery such as knee realignment or knee replacement.

There are an increasing range of treatments that can be injected into the knee for the management of painful and debilitating knee osteoarthritis. The most common anti-inflammatory is a steroid injection. This is short-acting and effective but can have side effects such as further cartilage damage. I therefore tend to only offer a single ‘break-through-pain’ steroid injection.

I monitor the evidence for other injectable knee treatments: 

– Arthrosamid. A hydrogel that integrates into the synovium lining of the inner joint capsule, creating a cushioning and barrier effect to inflammation which can have many years of benefit

– Cellular Matrix. A combined injection of hyaluronic acid and Platelet Rich Plasma that improves pain and function in patients with early knee osteoarthritis with a shorter-acting response

CONTACT me if you would like to know more.