As an active, weight-bearing joint, the knee is a source of pain and problems for many people. No matter the cause of your knee pain, let the experts at University of Missouri Health Care tailor a solution to help relieve your pain.

Knee pain is common and might be acute or chronic and could result from injury, overuse or growth. It can stem from the tendons, ligaments, bones, cartilage or any other structure within the knee. Arthritis is one of the most common and crippling conditions to affect the knee joint.

Our compassionate team provides complete care for your knee pain. At MU Health Care’s Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, we offer all the orthopaedic services you need under one roof — from diagnosis to surgery to physical therapy. Our facility is specially designed to make your care easy and comfortable.

Nonsurgical Treatments

There are many nonsurgical options that you could use to treat knee pain caused by arthritis. These can include:

  • Exercise. Exercises to stretch and strengthen the quadriceps muscles and hamstrings are helpful in reducing the pain of arthritis. These could include walking, swimming, light aerobics and similar exercises. We have a team of physical therapists who can help. Blood flow restriction therapy, a leading-edge therapy option, may also helping increase strength in your joint.
  • Losing weight. Ten pounds of body weight can equate to a 30-pound load on the kneecap, so losing weight can help lessen the load on the knee. Our team can help offer support and programs to help you lose weight.
  • Alternative treatments. Chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage, heat packs, prolotherapy, aqua-therapy and related alternatives may also help.
  • Medicine injections. Cortisone or lubricant injections can offer relief for knee pain. The duration of relief varies, and these treatments can help you enjoy life more.

If these treatments cannot relieve your knee pain, our adult reconstruction specialists provide a full array of surgical treatment options for knee conditions. Surgery should be your last option, and you should discuss the choice with your physician.

Surgical Treatments

Knee Preservation

In cases where your knee cartilage is healthy, our experts can work to preserve your healthy tissue by using minimally invasive techniques to repair your knee function. All of our treatments involve physical therapy to help reestablish your mobility and build your strength.

Knee arthroscopy

If your knee has sustained damage to its supporting tissue (the meniscus), you may experience pain or locking/catching symptoms. Minimally invasive arthroscopic knee surgery may be helpful to remove or repair the damaged tissue. During the procedure, your orthopaedic surgeon will use a few small incisions and specialized tools to remove or repair your cartilage.

Knee osteotomy

If your knee is not aligned, our experienced surgeons can reposition the joint. We use these procedures when a single compartment of the knee is involved and when good cartilage remains in the knee joint.

During an osteotomy, your orthopaedic surgeon will remove part of the bone around your knee. He or she will then realign the knee joint and hold it in position using a plate and screws. This realignment helps your knee work as it should and relieves stress on your cartilage.

Knee Replacement

When you need knee replacement surgery, we are here to help you determine the best option to get you back to the activities you love.

There are multiple types of knee surgery, and your doctor will talk to you about the best approach.

Outpatient Knee Replacement Surgery

Having a knee replaced once required several days in the hospital to recover. Now, some patients can have an outpatient knee replacement, either going home on the day of surgery or the next day less than 24 hours after surgery. Learn more.

Knee Replacement Surgery

 

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