More people getting total joint replacement

Two years ago, Sharon Dieball couldn't climb stairs.

Deiball, 62, of Crystal Lake, couldn't bike, hike or sit with her legs criss-crossed on the floor without pain. She struggled to get out of a car. She couldn’t bend her left knee, and kept it elevated.

A meniscus repair surgery didn't alleviate the pain. An X-ray showed that the cartilage in her left knee was gone. It was bone on bone. Dieball opted for surgery that would replace her knee with a titanium joint in December 2009.

“I wanted to be active and happy," Dieball said. "I was depressed when I had all that pain. And I’m not anymore. I wanted to be there for my grandchild. We do a lot of things together.”

Dieball is part of the baby boomer population that is starting to make total joint replacements more and more common.

From 1997 to 2007, the population of 45- to 64-year-olds grew by 36 percent, but knee replacements in this group more than tripled. Obesity rates didn't rise enough to explain the trend.

People want to maintain their lifestyles and their level of activity, such as playing golf, tennis, or bowling, as they grow older, said Dr. Steven Rochell, a Crystal Lake orthopedist.

Knee replacement surgeries have doubled over the last decade and more than tripled in the 45- to 64-year-old age group, new research shows. Hips are trending that way, too.

Over the last three years, Centegra Health System doctors have performed about 400 knee replacements, 160 hip replacements and 40 shoulder replacements annually, said David Shinherr, executive director of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation for Centegra Health System.

Those who have had an injury in the past might need a joint replacement in the future.

"Usually those patients whose joints deteriorate over time have pre-existing problems," Rochell said.

He added that people who are bow-legged tend to need knee replacements as well.

But not all people who experience some sort of joint pain necessarily need a joint replacement. There may be therapies, exercises, injections and medications a patient can go through to help relieve pain.

"The goal is to relieve pain and provide function," Rochell said. Patients "want that function to be present for many years."

Warren Jablonsky is an orthopedist who has offices in Crystal Lake and Huntley.

With more baby boomers getting closer to retirement, Jablonsky said he expects the number of replacements to skyrocket.

Physical Therapy For Knee Injuries - News


More people getting total joint replacement

To make sure patients don't go through unnecessary surgery, Daniels will have his patients go through X-rays and try pain medication first, or go through physical therapy. "My job is to allow them to manage their arthritis," Daniels said.



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Knee Injuries in the Young Athlete › Events › :: Therapeutic ...

With the ever increasing number of children participating in organized sports, the incidence of knee injuries is on the rise. Each year in the United States there are over 1 million emergency room visits and 1.9 million primary care visits for knee injuries. Children make up a large percentage of these visits as their developing musculoskeletal systems are more susceptible to injury. Knee injuries in children often occur as a result to damage of soft tissue structures around the knee which act to stabilize and cushion the joint. Such injuries can not only take a child off of the court or field for the season, but may also result in long term damage to the knee. This is why it is exceedingly important for parents and coaches to understanding why knee injuries occur and how to prevent them.

The knee joint is comprised of the connection between the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia). Stability of the knee is derived from 4 major ligaments and two menisci that help cushion the joint. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) are the two primary stabilizers of the knee that help to control rotation through the joint. The medial collateral ligament (MCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) provide stability to the inside and outside of the knee, which help to prevent sideways movement. The crescent shaped medial and lateral menisci are found on top of the tibia and play an integral role in shock absorption and joint stability. The kneecap (patella) sits in a groove in the femur, called the patellofemoral joint, which gives the quadriceps muscle more leverage for straightening the knee. Damage to any of these structures can be quite painful and limit participation in sports. While the incidence of ligament and meniscus tears in on the rise in the pediatric population, dysfunction of the patellofemoral joint is one of the most common causes for referral of children to physical therapy.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is usually attributable to an imbalance of forces that control tracking of the patella. Young athletes experiencing PFPS may report pain behind the patella which is typically exacerbated with running, jumping, squatting and stair-climbing. Additionally, athletes may report clicking or catching when fully bending the knee. Visual swelling of the knee joint is not characteristic of PFPS and may suggest more serious pathology. Onset of PFPS typically occurs when an athlete has begun a new sport or changed the frequency or intensity of an existing sport. Consequently, with mild cases of PFPS relative rest can help to decrease the intensity of symptoms. However, when left untreated PFPS can potentially result in chondromalacia, a condition where roughening of the cartilage on the underside of the patella occurs.


Physical Therapy For Knee Injuries - Bookshelf

No More Knee Pain, A Woman's Guide to Natural Prevention and Relief

No More Knee Pain, A Woman's Guide to Natural Prevention and Relief

Exactly how physical therapy accomplishes that goal varies with the individual. Two people with the same knee surgery from the same injury can require ...

Patellofemoral Pain, Instabilty, and Arthritis, Clinical Presentation, Imaging, and Treatment

Patellofemoral Pain, Instabilty, and Arthritis, Clinical Presentation, Imaging, and Treatment

There was no additive benefit of foot orthoses to physical therapy. ... The mean duration of their knee pain was 35 months, signifying an extended duration ...

Pediatric physical therapy

Pediatric physical therapy

LIGAMENTOUS INJURIES TO THE KNEE The most common ligament injuries of the knee involve the ... ACL injuries receive the most attention of all knee injuries. ...

Banishing Knee Pain Once and for All

Banishing Knee Pain Once and for All

Not every exercise is right for every knee pain, and even the most experienced professional sportsmen and women know that the physical therapy can do more ...

Clinical mastery in the treatment of myofascial pain

Clinical mastery in the treatment of myofascial pain

Treatment The patient was treated in physical therapy, with the initial objectives of improving the mobility of the knee and reducing pain. ...

Perfect Information Directory


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