Total Knee Replacement Surgery for Patients From Hampton, Williamsburg, Newport News, and Nearby VA Communities

Total knee replacement surgery can be a promising option for certain individuals who have severe arthritis. A relatively common and often age-related condition, knee arthritis can be a source of pain that progresses from a mild annoyance to a debilitating and life-altering condition. Individuals who are dealing with knee pain in Hampton, Williamsburg, Newport News, and elsewhere in Virginia can learn about their treatment options from the fellowship-trained surgeons at Tidewater Orthopaedics, the Specialists Group on the Peninsula.

Currently the most common form of joint replacement performed worldwide, total knee replacement surgery offers many well-documented benefits in terms of reduced pain, increased function, and enhanced quality of life. The procedure, which is often considered the gold standard for treating severely arthritic knees, involves the surgical replacement of all cartilage in a knee joint with a metal and plastic prosthesis. A knee replacement might be recommended for a patient with:

• Osteoarthritis – Due to wear and tear, the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones where they come together in the knee joint can wear away, allowing painful bone-on-bone contact and stimulating the formation of bone spurs, which can cause joint stiffness.
• Rheumatoid arthritis – The body’s immune system wrongly targets the membrane that lines the knee joint (synovium), leading to pain, inflammation, and degeneration of the joint.
• Post-traumatic arthritis – Following a traumatic knee injury, such as a fracture or ligament tear, inflammation can develop and potentially affect the alignment of the knee joint and cause cartilage damage over time.

In addition to various forms of arthritis, total knee replacement surgery can address a varus (“bowed legs”) or valgus (“knock knees”) deformity, as well as release contractures of the soft tissue around a knee. These conditions can create excess stress on the joint and cause cartilage to wear away.

The surgeons at Tidewater Orthopaedics perform patient-customized total knee replacement surgery using computer navigation and patient-specific instruments. A computer in the operating room can provide real-time measurements of a patient’s knee alignment and range of motion throughout a procedure. It also allows a surgeon to virtually fit implants to a patient and make adjustments before cutting any bone. As compared to existing techniques, these innovative options can significantly improve the likelihood of achieving proper limb alignment and implant fit.

Individuals from Newport News, Hampton, and Williamsburg, VA, who are interested in learning more about the state-of-the-art total knee replacement surgery performed by the skilled surgeons at Tidewater Orthopaedics can call (757) 276-3743.