Don't let chronic knee or hip pain slow you down

Physicians at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital remain on the cutting edge of many orthopedic procedures that are aimed at reducing pain and returning you to normal activities faster than ever.

According to Dr. Wolfgang Fitz, Orthopedic Surgeon in Brigham and Women’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, people suffering from chronic knee and hip pain now have several options to help alleviate their symptoms, including physical therapy, injections, strengthening programs and surgery.

“Our first choice is to always try to preserve as much of the original knee structure as possible,” states Dr. Fitz. “Recent data shows that partial knee replacements can preserve normal knee kinematics, preserve the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), provide more range of motion and people are generally more active following this type of procedure.”

Whether a partial or total knee replacement is performed all patients undergo an innovative, integrated knee pathway focusing on better pain control and reduced nausea. All patients receive pre-operatively various oral medications to reduce pain and nausea. No patient controlled analgesic pumps are used, which very often result in severe nausea. All patients receive local injection of numbing medicine to eliminate nerve blocks which have shown to increase postoperative complications without better pain control. In fact, all patients walk 100 feet the day of surgery.

It has been shown that better pain control without nausea facilitates a quicker recovery and more satisfied patients.

Of all the total knee replacements done, around 90 percent function for more than 10 years and 80 percent still function more than 20 years after surgery. “With specific exercises before surgery, medical advancements, pain management before, during and after surgery, the vast majority of patients go home within a day or two and can generally return to normal nonimpact sports activities such as walking and biking within a few months.”

If you’ve suffered through years of knee pain with no relief in sight, it’s time to call Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital at 617-983-7500 to find out how we can get you moving pain-free again.