Minimally Invasive Knee Surgery

Knee joint is considered to be one of the largest joints in the human body. Any surgery of the knee joint would involve significant treatment and care. The knee surgery could be of following types: Total knee replacement surgery, minimally invasive knee surgery. The total knee replacement surgery is advised when there is a severe degenerative disease in the knee joint. In other lesser diseases a minimally invasive knee surgery is advised which involves smaller incisions into the knee joints as compared to the traditional knee replacement surgeries.

As compared to the traditional method of incision which would involve eight to ten inches long incision, the minimally invasive knee surgery involves incisions which are only four to six inches long. In a minimally invasive knee surgery, because of the lesser number of incisions and their lesser sizes, the recovery period is very short as compared to the traditional knee replacement surgery.

Arthritis and Minimally invasive knee surgery

Arthritis is considered to be the prime cause of a knee joint disorder which necessitates a minimally invasive knee surgery. In a minimally invasive knee surgery or a total knee replacement surgery, the worn out cartilage and the damaged bone is replaced with an artificial metal and plastic piece. There could be a variety of reasons of a knee joint disorder. Injury, wear and tear due to age and inflammation from arthritis are some of the prime causes of a damaged knee.

Treatment under a minimally invasive knee surgery

A minimally invasive knee surgery is similar to that of a traditional knee replacement surgery in principle. The new technique in a minimally invasive knee surgery has however allowed the doctors to reduce the number and length of incisions into the knee joint. In a traditional knee replacement surgery, the size of incision can go up to eight or ten inches. In a minimally invasive knee surgery, on the other hand, the size of the incision does not go beyond four to six inches. It is because of this smaller size of incision involved in a minimally invasive knee surgery that the recovery period is relatively shorter.

Research has brought some modern techniques which are even better but are less frequently used in surgeries. The quadriceps-sparing technique is an important technique wherein surgeons can easily protect the muscle in the thigh bone and the quadriceps tendon. Mid vastus and sub vastus are some other new techniques of operating a knee joint wherein comparatively small incisions into the knee joint are made. These techniques come under the less invasive category of knee surgery.

Results of minimally invasive knee surgeries

Post operative result of a minimally invasive knee surgery is very encouraging most of the times. Since the incision is shorter in length, this type of surgery involves less blood, better movement of the leg after the surgery and a shorter hospital stay. The recovery period after a minimally invasive knee surgery is significantly reduced which is appreciated by both the patient and the doctor.