Procedures
The Belfast Knee Clinic provides a specialist knee service for patients of all ages. Frequently encountered conditions include meniscal tears, ligament injuries, patellar instability, articular surface damage and arthritis. The Belfast Knee Clinic strives for excellence in the assessment and management of such conditions. Some of the procedures available are detailed below. Click the operation title to obtain detailed information:
Knee Arthroscopy (Key-hole surgery)
Undertaken as day case surgery, a viewing arthroscope is inserted into the knee. This permits repair or excision of torn menisci, treatment and assessment of articular cartilage defects and removal of loose fragments of bone or articular cartilage from within the knee joint.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Rupture typically occurs due to substantial twisting injury rendering the knee unstable and prone to giving way episodes. The procedure involves removal of the torn cruciate ligament remnants and reconstruction employing hamstring tendon or patellar tendon graft held by two interference screws as shown.
Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty
Osteoarthritic pain within the knee may necessitate knee replacement, however, the disease may affect only one of the three load bearing compartments within the knee. Under these circumstances only the affected compartment may be replaced.
Unicompartmental Knee Replacement may be of the medial tibiofemoral (Figure 3a), lateral tibiofemoral or patellofemoral compartment (figure 3b) of the knee. Compared to Total Knee Replacement, the Unicompartmental Knee Replacement may lead to more rapid post-operative recovery, a more natural feeling knee and the preservation of bone stock in younger patients.
High Tibial Osteotomy
In young, high demand patients with isolated medial osteoarthritis, knee replacement is not an option due to the high stresses placed upon the implant. An alternative is a limb realignment procedure or High Tibial Osteotomy, which offloads the affected compartment and utilises the healthy lateral compartment for load bearing.
Total Knee Arthroplasty
Arthritis affecting more than one compartment is treated by total knee replacement. Total Knee Replacement may be cemented or uncemented to the bone surfaces. The polyethylene bearing surface between the femoral (thigh) and tibial (shin) components can be either fixed or mobile depending upon disease, patient and surgical factors.