Patients leading active lifestyles, such as high school and college athletes, have a high risk of suffering from chronic or acute knee pain. You may experience knee pain and mobility issues because of injuries, trauma, arthritis, or other degenerative changes. The knee consists of numerous components, including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage — you may experience severe knee pain if any of these components are injured or damaged. We diagnose and treat the root cause of your knee pain in Houston using the latest orthopedic techniques.
Symptoms of Knee Pain:
- Pain and discomfort around the knee joint
- Swelling around the knees
- Stiffness of the knees
- Loss of mobility around the knees
- Redness and warm sensation on the knees
- Instability and loss of balance
- Popping and clicking sounds when you move
- Inability to straighten your knees
The specific symptoms of knee pain depend on the root cause of knee pain. As mentioned previously, you may experience knee pain if you’ve sustained injuries or damages to any of the components of your knees, including the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. The symptoms will depend on which components are injured and their location. Our physicians will ask about your symptoms to narrow down the possible causes of knee pain.
Possible Causes of Knee Pain:
- Injuries
- Sprains or strains
- Meniscus tears
- Patellar tendinitis
- Joint arthritis
- Cartilage disease
- Baker’s cyst
- Dislocated kneecap
- Iliotibial band syndrome
Surgical & Non-Surgical Treatments for Knee Pain
The physicians at Movement Orthopaedic Institute perform a thorough physical examination to identify the root cause of your knee pain. We assess the entire structure of your knees and the symptoms to trace the potential source. We also confirm our findings with advanced imaging tests, such as ultrasound scans, CT scans, MRIs, and X-rays. This allows us to visualize the soft tissues, bone, tendons, and ligaments, thereby identifying the root cause of your knee pain in The Woodlands.
Non-Operative Care
We usually start knee pain treatments with non-operative solutions, such as rest, physical therapy, exercise, and medications. We may also use orthobiologics, such as PRP and stem cell therapy to facilitate natural regeneration. These procedures involve harnessing specific substances from your body, such as platelet-rich plasma, and reintroducing them into your body to facilitate the natural healing of the damaged tissues. Orthobiologic solutions activate your body’s internal healing mechanisms to promote natural regeneration without surgeries.
Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Arthroscopic knee surgery is suitable for patients with severe knee injuries or who don’t respond to non-operative care. This is a minimally invasive procedure wherein the surgeon makes small keyhole-sized incisions around the knees to introduce the medical devices and a specialized tool with a camera. The insides of your knees are projected on a TV screen, allowing the surgeon to access and modify your knee joints without large incisions.
Open Knee Surgery
Open knee surgery is the traditional approach to knee surgery. Your surgeon may recommend open surgery instead of arthroscopic knee surgery in severe cases of knee injuries. During open surgery, the doctor will make one large incision to view and access the full area of operation. Depending on your specific condition, the surgeon may use numerous surgical techniques to restore your knees to their optimal health and position. Open surgery involves considerable downtime.
Cartilage Restoration
Cartilages are the soft components located between bones, responsible for facilitating smooth movements without friction. The cartilages don’t heal naturally because they don’t contain blood vessels, and bleeding is an essential part of healing. If your cartilage is damaged, the surgeon may use tools to remove the rough edges of the cartilage to reduce joint friction. However, if the cartilage is severely damaged, the surgeon may make small abrasions on the bone underneath to encourage new cartilage growth.
Schedule an Appointment
Movement Orthopaedic Institute is a state-of-the-art medical center specializing in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery. Our physicians specialize in the latest orthopedic techniques to alleviate the symptoms of knee pain while addressing the root cause, ensuring long-lasting results. We use non-operative solutions to encourage natural healing and regeneration and only resort to surgeries when absolutely necessary. If you have symptoms of knee pain in the Woodlands, please schedule a consultation with our physicians.
