The knee joint is one of the most crucial joints of our body as it holds the weight of the body and is instrumental in making many movements like walking, climbing stairs, sitting, etc. Due to these movements, this joint is vulnerable to many ailments, of which knee osteoarthritis is very common.
It causes joint pain and stiffness and in the course of time there is gradual wear and tear of joint cartilage leading to disability. Bone marrow lesions (BML) are precursors to this ailment. A BML is the inflammation of the soft bones called the subchondral bones, causing swelling, pain and reduced mobility. A BML is not detected by X-Ray but is visible on an MRI scan identified by the inflammation around the microscopic fracture within the subchondral bone.
Knee doctors in Phoenix AZ also call it bone marrow edema. This BML, if left untreated, leads to osteoarthritis and eventually a probably need for a knee replacement. The top Phoenix orthopedic surgeons are now considering subchondroplasty procedures for patients with bone marrow lesions to help provide pain relief and prevent the need for a knee replacement.
Subchondroplasty: A preventive treatment for Osteoarthritis.
Subchondroplasty is a minimally invasive procedure which is performed to repair the specific chronic bone marrow lesions by filling them with a substance which is a bone substitute. The bone substitute then gets slowly absorbed and replaced by the bone, which is healthy, thereby repairing the defect in the bone.
Subchondroplasty also cures the edema which is associated with the BML. Subchondroplasty can be performed alone or in combination with other arthroscopic procedures. Subchondroplasty has become increasingly popular as it is a simple and affordable way to prevent the osteoarthritis which may even lead to complete knee replacements. The best knee surgeons in Phoenix are turning to subchondroplasty as an effective minimally invasive procedure for pain relief.
Subchondroplasty in Phoenix
There are many top orthopedic doctors in Phoenix who recommend this treatment, such as Dr. Sumit Dewanjee at FXRX. The procedure is covered by insurance plans, which is great for a revolutionary new procedure.
Procedure of Subchondroplasty
- Firstly, the patient is given anesthesia.
- A reference frame is placed in the patient’s tibia bone.
- A pin is then inserted under the guidance of fluoroscopic imaging using the frame.
- Using a cannulated drill, the pin is further inserted to the desired depth inside the bone.
- The semi-circular frame is then removed, leaving the pin inside.
- Over the pin is placed a cannula which is slid into the bone until it is placed firmly.
- The lock of the syringe which is filled with the bone substitute is attached at the back of the cannula.
- The bone substitute material is then injected into the subchondral bone by application of steady pressure. The delivery syringe is detached after that. In case of requirement of more bone substitute, an additional syringe can be attached to the cannula.
- A trocar is then inserted into the cannula to fill the bone substitute which is left, into the bone.
- The cannula is removed and the final placing of the substitute is confirmed by fluoroscopic imaging.
Advantages of Subchondroplasty
There are many advantages of this procedure:
- As it is minimally invasive, the patient is discharged on the same day of operation.
- It ensures fast recovery and resumption of normal activities.
- It does not pose any problem in total knee replacement in the future.
Dr. Sumit Dewanjee at FXRX is one of the top knee surgeons in Arizona. He is Board Certified, Fellowship Trained and an expert in minimally invasive procedures. Most insurance is accepted at the practice, call (480) 449-3979 today!
