Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - North Mississippi - (Page 23)

nd e m e start out crawling on them. Scuff them with scrapes and cover them in grass stains as kids. Then we spend decades bending, kneeling, running, squatting and twisting. From scrubbing ﬂoors to proposing marriage to plain-old getting old, our knees take a beating, and it’s no wonder that sometimes they suffer. In the past decade, the knee has beneﬁted from advances in technology and techniques. Here are three surgical procedures helping patients get back on their feet faster. on on on on on on k ed by j enn minimally invasive knee replacement When the surfaces of the knee joint wear out from arthritis, injury or general wear and tear, the grinding of bone on bone causes pain, swelling and difﬁculty with simple tasks like going up or down stairs. In the procedure, the damaged bone and cartilage are removed and replaced with metal and plastic prosthetics. es ne specializes in knee surgery and is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. “We’re now able to better replicate the normal rotation of the knee. The way it was done before was not taking rotation during ﬂexion into account, causing materials to wear out faster.” Surgeons today also take away less bone. “Now, I really consider it knee resurfacing,” he says. “By preserving bone, you’re preserving the ligaments that give your knee stability.” WHY IS IT BETTER TODAY THAN 10 YEARS AGO? “Materials technology has changed our success rates,” explains Bal M. Rajagopalan, M.D., a board-certiﬁed orthopedic surgeon who WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT IT? Because of minimal tissue damage and a smaller incision, patients typically go home sooner, recover more quickly and get back to normal activity sooner. “But it’s not just making a small incision,” Rajagopalan says. “It’s about respecting the tissue. If you’re gentle and respect the tissue in the knee, patients will heal faster and feel better sooner.” > wo o lson vim & vigor · s p ri ng 201 0 PHOTOGRAPH BY PHOTOLIBRARY

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010- North Mississippi
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Weight-loss Success Stories
Come See Us
Hit the Links
Excuses, Excuses
Easing the Pressure
Prostate Predicament
On Mended Knees
Imaging IQ
Will Power
Caregiving: A Survival Guide
Form Factors
Wake-Up Call
Stroke of Luck
Weight Matters
History Lesson
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - North Mississippi