is defined as knee arthroscopy to the surgical procedure used by specialist traumatologists, based on a minimally invasive knee joint surgery, with the purpose of exploring, diagnosing and/or treating osteotendinous and soft tissue injuries that the patient may present.

It is performed through small incisions through which the knee specialist inserts the arthroscope that sends an image to the monitor through which the joint can be clearly observed, allowing a complete medical diagnosis of the pathology.

Once the pathology is identified, the necessary surgical instruments are inserted through the incisions made previously.

Knee arthroscopy is one of the techniques most used by pioneer traumatologists in knee surgeries.

Knee injuries can be multiple depending on the mechanism of action. These range from the most acute or traumatic, to chronic or degenerative injuries.

The most common acute injuries are: traumatic meniscopathies or meniscus tears, partial or total anterior cruciate ligament injuries, articular cartilage fractures and subchondral injuries.

On the other hand, the most common chronic lesions are hypertrophic and/or reactive knee synovitis, chondromalacia of one or more joints, Hoffa fat hypertrophy, patellofemoral syndrome and patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The knee synovitis It is a pathology that is caused by inflammation in the synovial membrane which covers the joint. This membrane contains liquid, which acts as a lubricant, avoiding friction and therefore pain.

The most common treatment for this type of pathology is the application of cold or heat and taking anti-inflammatories.

Sometimes it is used hyaluronic acid in the joints to avoid painful friction. In other cases, it is used for cartilage reconstruction. In addition, there are other treatments carried out by stem cell specialist traumatologists.

Why is meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament injury so common in soccer players?

These two injuries are a consequence of playing sports in which numerous turns and sudden stops are made with the foot fixed on the ground. Both injuries cause patients pain and locking in the affected knee.

In the case of a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, it is caused by a forced hyperextension of the knee ligaments. The injury can occur in isolation or as a consequence of a meniscus tear, which can lead to greater severity of the pathology.

The team of Prof. Doctor Elgeadi, has professionals specialized in knee, who can improve the patient's quality of life.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries can be total or partial, depending on the joint instability they cause.

Treatment for cruciate ligament injuries in Spain

Total ACL injuries are usually treated with the placement of a graft, which can be autologous or heterologous, to replace the injured ligament. Among the autologous techniques, the most common is the one known as “bone-tendon-bone (HTH)” using patellar bone and patellar tendon for the graft, and the “semitendinosus-gracilis” as a second option.

Regarding heterologous or synthetic grafts, there is a wide range of implants that fulfill the function of ACL and that have demonstrated their clinical effectiveness.

He radiofrequency heat treatment In partial lesions it constitutes a less aggressive alternative that offers good results.

The ACL injury must meet minimum healing or osseointegration requirements to be considered stable, since patients have difficulty flexion of the knee after surgery. Afterwards, joint rehabilitation is necessary to achieve complete mobility and recovery of periarticular muscle mass.

The team led by Ghassan Elgeadi has knee specialist traumatologists who will treat the patient's joint until full recovery.

Recovery from anterior cruciate ligament injury through arthroscopy 

The recovery after knee arthroscopy It is usually 3 months. This time may vary depending on the patient's previous conditions and the variables involved in the surgical procedure.

Meniscoplasty will basically depend on the injury that this joint structure presents.

It can range from simple remodeling of the internal contour of the meniscus with radiofrequency, through suturing of the meniscus in case of a traumatic injury, to total removal of the meniscus.

This cartilaginous structure must be preserved, since it is an important part of the mechanism of joint congruity.

Why is it common for the medial meniscus to be injured?

The femoral condyles are distributed asymmetrically in the knee although in appearance they both appear to be level at their lower edge. The medial condyle has greater cancellation than the lateral one, due to the distribution of vector weight loads. This causes the medial meniscus to be of a different shape and size than the lateral one, generally larger and C-shaped.

Consequently, the greater load handling and greater contact surface makes the medial meniscus more prone to acute and chronic injuries, due to its structure and function.

Meniscus surgery in Spain

As has been seen, a Meniscus surgery can vary from minimal remodeling to total removal.

Therefore, the duration of the intervention can vary from 20 minutes to approximately one hour, since if minimally invasive surgery is performed, the duration will be shorter. This will really depend, to a large extent, on the pathology to be treated and the skill and experience of the surgeon.

These types of injuries must be treated by a knee specialist traumatologist, since arthroscopy is a very advanced and minimally invasive technique that can only be carried out by experts in the field.

knee meniscectomy

The suffix “itis” refers to inflammation and the suffix “ectomy” refers to the exeresis or removal of a body structure. In this case, the definition of meniscectomy is the removal of one or both menisci due to a specific pathology.

This surgery is performed as a last measure in the treatment of a very severe acute pathology or in case of total degeneration of the meniscus structure. On both occasions, repair or plasty of the meniscus is unfeasible due to the extent of the injury.

He total knee joint replacement It is a major prosthetic surgery that is based on the total replacement of the joint in its 4 components (femoral, tibial, patellar and insert).

After the intervention, the prosthesis must be fixed and stable and its stability and ranges of flexion and extension must have been confirmed. Normally, after 24 hours the patient will be able to stand and even walk under certain specifications and always under the supervision of a knee specialist.

Regarding the recovery of the soft tissues that have been manipulated during the intervention, it will depend on the care of the scar and the underlying conditions.

Types of knee prosthesis

•Unicompartmental knee prosthesis: this surgery involves replacing only the damaged part of the knee.

•Resurfacing total knee prosthesis: this is a total replacement.

•Knee prosthesis under revision: this is an operation to replace an existing prosthesis.

How long does knee replacement surgery last?

The knee prosthesis operation duration usually ranges between 2 or 3 hours, but this time can vary depending on the patient and the severity of their case.

Postoperative knee replacement

In general terms, in most patients the wound takes between 2 and 3 weeks to heal. 

Subsequently, to recover mobility after a knee prosthesis, rehabilitation and physiotherapy sessions will begin in order to recover muscle mass and the functionality of the joint, so the recovery time for a knee prosthesis generally tends to be fast, but this will depend on each particular case.

How long does a knee replacement last?

A knee prosthesis is normally an intervention that is performed on patients over 60 years of age who suffer from osteoarthritis, since this is the age at which the most serious symptoms of this disease are suffered.

The duration of the knee prosthesis is around 30 years. After this period, most knee prostheses will have to be replaced, although this is not a general thing, since each patient is different.

If the injury to be treated is located in a single area of the knee, the traumatologist specializing in knee osteotomy will assess whether it is advisable to remove the bone in its entirety and perform a graft. This procedure is usually recommended in patients over sixty years of age. 

Knee tendonitis

Any word ending in “itis” denotes inflammation, so the term knee tendonitis defines inflammatory pathologies of the tendon structures of the knee. These are injured acutely and chronically, generally due to direct or indirect mechanical overload, in addition to direct joint trauma.

The structures of the knee that are most frequently injured are: medial and lateral collateral ligaments, patellar or patellar ligament, and the pes tendon.

knee cartilage

Articular cartilage is a firm, flexible tissue that covers the joints. This knee cartilage injury is related to sports injuries.

Posterior cruciate ligament rupture

Injury to this ligament is usually less painful than that of the anterior cruciate ligament, as well as less frequent. Ligament rupture occurs when the tibia suffers severe trauma to the lower area of the knee.

knee sprain

A knee sprain is an injury caused by excessive flexion or extension, which produces the loss of joint congruity without becoming a dislocation.

The main consequence is the elongation of the capsulo-ligamentary structures that suffer injuries ranging from inflammation to total ligament rupture and joint instability.

Knee sprains generally cause pain, functional limitation, inflammation and in some cases ecchymosis or bruising, with joint instability being the most severe of the symptoms.

Treatment for knee bruises in Spain

The treatment of knee contusions varies depending on the clinical signs that accompany the injury. From a simple swelling caused by trauma at a specific site to a large edema that covers the entire joint, with secondary joint effusion.

The first step, and one of the most important, is the placement of local cold to limit inflammation through a process of vasoconstriction and produce pain relief through anesthesia of the nerve endings.

Secondly, it is advisable to consult a knee specialist traumatologist who can establish the degree of injury to the joint and the course of action to take with it. These injuries can cause symptoms, which if not treated in time, can affect the joint, in the short or long term.

Baker's cysts

This pathology occurs when excess synovial fluid appears, accumulating and generating inflammation. It is located in the popliteal cavity of the knee.