Orthopaedics Unlimited

Minimally Invasive Knee Surgery in Newark, New Jersey

Minimally Invasive Knee Surgery in New Jersey

Dr. Michael Rieber is one of the foremost orthopaedists treating sports injuries and knee pain in the New Jersey area, and has offices conveniently located in Newark and Springfield. Conservative treatments, such as physical therapy or a regimen of pain medication, are among the best solutions for knee pain. Unfortunately, not all knee pain can be alleviated through these noninvasive means, and surgery may be indicated for more serious musculoskeletal conditions. For these instances, minimally invasive surgical methods are preferred. Dr. Rieber has years of experience with minimally invasive techniques, including arthroscopy. These minimally invasive approaches can be employed to treat athletes and older patients alike, returning them to active lifestyles and allowing them to walk pain free again.

Knee Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive technique used by surgeons to treat a number of sports medicine injuries, such as ligament and cartilage tears, with two of the most common being ACL tears and meniscal tears. Arthroscopy allows the orthopaedic surgeon to perform the procedure through two small incisions in the knee, providing a quicker recovery and fewer complications compared to an open surgery.

In an arthroscopic procedure, the surgeon will first make an incision only large enough to insert the arthroscope, a fiber-optic camera that sends real-time images to a computer monitor, giving the surgeon a view of the knee joint from within. The surgeon makes a second incision to insert the operating instruments, approximately pencil-sized, to perform the minimally invasive procedure.

Knee Replacement

Knee replacement surgery is recommended for patients when nonsurgical treatments, such as physical therapy, cortisone injections, or pain medications, have failed to relieve pain and other limiting conditions associated with osteoarthritis or extensive damage to the joint. The goal of knee replacement is to remove the diseased or damaged portions of the knee and replace them with prosthetic components, allowing for relatively normal function and activity for longer periods of time.

Partial Knee Replacement – Minimally Invasive Joint Replacement

Minimally invasive knee replacement surgery involves the removal and replacement of an affected knee joint through a smaller incision than traditional total open knee replacement surgery. The surgeon replaces the diseased or damaged knee joint with a prosthetic joint, made to mimic the function of a natural knee. Prosthetics have been engineered to feel as natural as possible, and are made with only biocompatible materials to ensure comfort and support. Using current techniques, 90% to 95% of minimally invasive knee replacement surgeries last more than 15 years.

Partial knee replacement allows an orthopaedic surgeon to remove only the damaged portion of the knee, leaving the healthy knee intact. Because less of the knee must be removed, the incision size is smaller, and less tampering with the muscles and tendons occurs. This provides the patient with benefits such as reduced scarring and reduced post-operative recovery time.

Indications for Knee Replacement

When routine activities, such as climbing stairs or walking long distances, become painful and difficult for patients, knee replacement may be indicated to restore previous function and comfort levels. Knee surgery can become a necessity when other pain management treatments, such as medications, exercise, weight loss, and activity modification do not succeed.

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