Caring Medical
& Rehabilitation Services
715 Lake Street, Suite 600
Oak Park, Illinois 60301
708.848.7789 Phone
708.848.7763 Fax

Alternatives to Knee Surgery and Knee Replacement

It is dangerous to have knee pain and walk into an orthopedic surgeon's office. Apparently, because of the ease of sticking probes into the knee joint, arthroscopic surgery is the favorite pastime of orthopedic surgeons.

When we ask patients the reasons for their surgery, the typical response is "to shave cartilage" or "I don't know." The best treatment, as long as it is a partial tear, is to help the body repair the injured area. Remember, removing any tissue that God has put in the body will have a consequence. The tissues most commonly removed during arthroscopic surgery in the knee are parts of the meniscus and the articular cartilage. Both of these structures are needed by the body to help the femur bone glide smoothly over the tibia. When either of these structures are removed, the bones do not glide property.

Eventually, whatever meniscus or articular cartilage is left after the arthroscopic surgery is worn away. Once this occurs, bone begins rubbing against bone and proliferative arthritis begins. After a course of cortisone shots, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and several trials of physical therapy, the patient is again under the knife, this time for a knee replacement. Once an arthroscope touches the knee, the chance of developing arthritis in the knee tremendously increases.

Before letting an arthroscope touch you, it is imperative to have an evaluation by a physician familiar with Prolotherapy. Prolotherapy, an alternative to knee surgery, will begin collagen formation both outside and inside the knee joint, depending on the structure(s) that are injected. Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair itself. Surgery in the knee is appropriate when a ligament is completely torn, such as would occur from a high velocity injury. Prolotherapy is only helpful to regrow ligaments if both ends of the ligament remain attached to bone. Remember, 98 percent of ligament injuries are partial tears for which Prolotherapy would be a good alternative to knee surgery.