Knee pain can have a significant effect on your everyday life.
Whether you’ve twisted your knee while walking or suffered a more severe injury while playing a sport like squash, football or rugby, getting the right treatment promptly can get you out of pain and back to better function sooner.
Sometimes knee pain may have an obvious cause, like a sporting injury, or it may progress more gradually over a longer period of time. Whatever the cause of your knee pain, when it’s bad enough to need medical help, you’ll want to receive an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment quickly.
Here at The Meriden Hospital, we provide private knee surgery for people based in and around Coventry as well as for those living further afield. We help to get people out of knee pain and back to doing the things they most love. We can do the same for you.
There are different kinds of knee surgery available, depending on various factors, all of which can be carried out here at The Meriden Hospital.
Your knee is a hinge joint, due to the way it bends. It also has a small amount of rotational movement, which helps as we twist or turn our leg. The joint is formed by the thigh-bone (femur) and shin-bone (tibia). Your kneecap (patella) sits in front of the joint.
As the knee is a weight-bearing joint, it’s unfortunately quite prone to damage, either through injury or disease. This can cause pain and stiffness in the knee, affecting movement and the ability to weight-bear.
Many people need surgery because of osteoarthritis in their knee joint. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in the UK and can affect all ages. Over time, our joints experience natural ‘wear and tear’ as we go about our normal everyday movements and activities. Osteoarthritis causes the smooth cartilage lining the end of the bones in the knee to break down more rapidly than normal.
When this happens in your knee, you’ll start to notice normal everyday movements and activities becoming painful and more challenging. Even simple things like sitting down, standing up or walking up and down stairs can become noticeably harder. As osteoarthritis progresses, you may be unable to safely weight-bear, only able to move around with the help of a walking aid.
Alternatively, your knee may be damaged by an injury. Contact sports like rugby often involve heavy blows to the knee. Rapid twisting and turning on your foot during a game of squash or football can generate huge forces in the knee joint. Any of these may cause a bone fracture or damage to a ligament or meniscus within the joint.
If your knee is causing you pain, either due to trauma, disease or age-related changes, an experienced consultant knee surgeon can be an invaluable help.
When you meet with you Consultant, they will work with you to diagnose the cause of your knee pain.
They’ll take your medical history and talk with you about the symptoms you’re experiencing. It’s helpful for you to explain when your symptoms started, what movements or activities trigger or aggravate them, and whether you’ve tried any treatments up to this point.
As well as a physical assessment of your knee, your Consultant may arrange diagnostic tests to help confirm diagnosis. This may be an X-ray, ultrasound, CT or MRI scan, all of which can be carried out for you here on-site.
Once a diagnosis has been made, your Consultant will talk with you about the best approach to treatment.
It’s important to know that not all causes of knee pain will require surgery. Depending on the cause of your pain, there are some very good non-surgical treatments that may successfully relieve pain. In other cases, they may delay the need for knee surgery.
Common non-surgical treatments include:
- Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (known as R.I.C.E.),
- Physiotherapy,
- Pain relief medication,
- Cortisone injection into the knee joint,
- Weight loss.
Should these treatments not work, or not be as effective as expected, surgery may be advised to get you out of pain.
Knee surgery is often carried out using minimally invasive keyhole arthroscopy surgery. Other surgery, like total knee replacement, may require the more traditional “open” surgery. At The Meriden Hospital, we provide:
- Knee replacement surgery: removes the damaged, worn joint surfaces in the knee and replaces them with artificial ones. These new joint surfaces move freely, without causing pain or stiffness.
- Arthroscopic knee surgery: Arthroscopy is a type of keyhole surgery. Using tiny cuts and a special tube with a camera and bright light at one end (arthroscope), the inside of the knee joint can be carefully examined, and small surgical instruments then used to treat damage and/or repair tears where needed. This minimally invasive approach to surgery acts as both a diagnostic aid and as surgical repair. As only small cuts are made, it can help lower recovery times and reduce potential risks and complications. It is commonly used for operations like ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) or meniscal repair.
All these types of knee surgery can be carried out at The Meriden Hospital by some of the best Orthopaedic Consultants in the area.
When you choose to have your knee surgery with us, you’ll benefit from:
- Rapid access: We can provide you with fast access to an expert Consultant Knee Surgeon. With their prompt assessment, diagnosis and treatment, you’ll be out of pain and back to better mobility sooner.
- Peace of mind: In an independent survey, more than 98% of our patients said they were likely or highly likely to recommend us to friends and family. Reassurance that you’ll be supported and looked after well throughout your time with us. If you have questions or concerns at any stage, it’s easy to arrange a follow-up appointment with your Consultant.
- Flexible appointments: We can provide an appointment with your chosen Consultant at a time that’s most convenient for you.
- Personal support: A good recovery from surgery is vital to the long-term benefits of having knee surgery. Our experienced physiotherapy team will help you during your recovery, helping you to regain mobility, strength and flexibility in your knee safely and sensibly.
- Free parking: Our private car park offers easy access. Register your car at Reception when you arrive with us, and you won’t need to pay for parking during your visit.
If you’re struggling with knee pain, why not book a consultation with one of our experienced Consultant Knee Surgeons?
They’ll investigate the cause of your pain and discuss suitable treatment options. If you require knee surgery, they’ll arrange that for you at the earliest opportunity.
We can help get you out of knee pain and back to better health sooner.
Book an appointment online today.
