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Cartilage Restoration For Smoothing the Joints |
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Cartilage covers the ends of bones, protecting them from damage, reducing friction and allowing for smoother movement of the bones in the joint. If a knee has been injured causing damage to that joint's cartilage, restoring the cartilage through a surgical procedure may improve function and use of the knee for the patient for years to come. Timothy C. Sitter, M.D., a sports medicine specialist and joint reconstructive surgeon with Methodist Orthopaedic Specialists of Texas, performs the Carticel procedure to treat cartilage defects. This technique takes a small amount of cartilage from one area of the body that can do without the cartilage, then grows the cells in culture for six weeks. The cultured cells are later injected over the patient's damaged cartilage and covered with a small piece of tissue from the patient's tibia (shin bone), taken during the same surgery. The cultured cells grow and fill in the defect over the next few months. For more information on cartilage restoration options, please call 866-567-4130. |
Work Those Replacement Knees
Timothy C. Sitter, M.D., Joint Reconstructive Surgeon
After battling knee pain for years and undergoing replacement knee surgery, you’ve earned the right to relax and lounge around a bit while your knee heals, right? Wrong! When it comes to knee replacement surgery, the rehabilitation services and physical therapy team at Methodist Orthopaedic Specialists of Texas (MOST) knows that providing tender, loving care means taking an active approach to recuperation.
In fact, recent University of Delaware research debunks old wives' tales that strength training can be detrimental after knee replacement surgery and patients should treat their new knees delicately. Participants in the study were given six weeks of strength training two or three times a week, beginning four weeks after surgery. The study results showed that in patients who have had knee replacement surgery because of osteoarthritis, quadriceps-strengthening exercises are critical to recovery and can even boost the new knee’s function to nearly that of a healthy adult.
Getting You Back on Your Feet
"At Methodist Orthopaedic Specialists of Texas, rehabilitation typically begins a few hours after your surgery," says Timothy C. Sitter, M.D., board certified joint reconstructive surgeon with MOST. "Your therapist will show you how to bend and move your knee, and help you get in and out of bed. You may also take a few assisted steps, depending on your progress. In the next couple of days, you’ll gradually increase your exercise and activities, including walking farther and increasing your range of motion."
After a few days, you’ll likely get to return to the comforts of home, while your rehabilitation services and physical therapy team at MOST will continue working with you. For the first six weeks after knee replacement surgery, you’ll continue to perform the exercises that you began at the hospital. As you gradually increase the intensity and duration of the exercises, you’ll also be encouraged to gradually increase household activities. After six weeks, new exercises may be added to your rehabilitation program. Sticking to the program and following the guidelines of your rehabilitation services and physical therapy team will help strengthen your muscles, increase the mobility of your knee and protect the joint.
Find Out More
If knee pain has prevented you from enjoying your normal daily activities, the prospect of undergoing knee replacement surgery may be both exciting and discomforting. MOST's surgical and rehabilitation team has a long and proud history of getting knee replacement patients back on their feet and living life to the fullest. To learn more, please call 866-567-4130 or visit our Web site at www.ostx.org.