Sports Medicine: Knee and Hip
Catching, locking, giving way, a knee that swelled after a twist, a tendon that ruptured, or a labral tear on a hip scan: how these are evaluated, and which ones an operation helps.
The short answer
Arthroscopy means looking inside a joint with a small camera through small incisions, and treating certain problems through the same openings. Dr. Patel performs knee arthroscopy in selected knees and repairs ruptured knee tendons. He also evaluates hip labral tears, though he refers the hip arthroscopy itself. None of this is a treatment for advanced arthritis.
Match the procedure to the problem
Symptoms such as catching, locking, giving way, or a knee that swelled after a twist, a pop, or a fall may prompt evaluation. Examination and imaging help determine whether the problem fits arthroscopic care, rehabilitation, another procedure, or no surgery.
The purpose of the visit is to work out which part of the knee is injured and what you want back, not to assume that a scope is required.
Arthritis changes the discussion
Arthroscopy does not treat arthritis. When arthritis is the main driver of the pain, a scope is unlikely to help for long, and the honest conversation is about the other options, from strengthening and injections to replacement.
Like any operation, arthroscopy carries risks worth naming: infection, blood clots, stiffness, and the real possibility that the scope does not relieve the pain. That last one is exactly why the diagnosis has to come first.
What this covers, and where each problem goes
Meniscus tears are the most common reason a knee is scoped, and the evidence on which tears benefit is worth reading before an operation is discussed. Complete tendon ruptures are a different situation entirely: a torn patellar tendon or quadriceps tendon leaves the knee unable to straighten, and those are usually repaired promptly rather than watched.
Dr. Patel performs knee arthroscopy including meniscus surgery, along with patellar and quadriceps tendon repair. Hip and knee replacement remains the center of the practice, and these procedures are offered for selected patients rather than as a separate sports-medicine service.
Use the consultation to make the decision clearer.
- Is something in my knee actually torn or catching, or is this arthritis?
- Would rehabilitation be more useful than surgery for me?
- How much arthritis do I have, and does it change whether a scope would help?
- What can arthroscopy reasonably address in my knee?
- Is my hip pain coming from the joint itself, or from something a scope would address?
Sources and further reading
- Knee ArthroscopyAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons