Knee And Shoulder Surgery - When Is It Required?

The knees and shoulder are two of the most prominent joints in the human body. While the shoulder is known as the most flexible joint, the knee is the strongest joint. These joints are susceptible to a number of issues. Depending on the problem, it may be treated non-surgically or surgically. In some cases, delaying surgical treatment can cause more trouble in the long run. Hence, it is important to get a clear diagnosis as early as possible.

Shoulder issues that require surgery
Partial or complete rotator cuff tears are issues that require surgical treatment. This involves repairing the rotator cuff and removing spurs from the underside of the joint. Patients suffering from frequent shoulder dislocations may also be advised surgery. This can be performed arthroscopically or through open surgery. This type of surgery ideally should be followed by physical therapy. Another issue related to the shoulder that may require surgery is multiple shoulder fractures or fracturing of the humerus head. As with the shoulder joint, multiple fractures may also need surgery. Patients suffering from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis that causes pain in the shoulder and restricts movement may be advised to undergo a shoulder replacement surgery. This may involve replacing the entire socket or replacing only the head of the humerus.

Knee issues that require surgery
Knee surgery may be advised to treat many different conditions that cause knee pain. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common of such conditions. Other such conditions that may involve knee surgery are:

1. Tendonitis that causes the knee joint to become inflamed. Surgery can prevent it from recurring.
2. An acute injury susceptible to further complications.
3. Ligament tears, in particular, an ACL injury which requires reconstruction of the ligament that involves removing the damaged ligament and replacing it with a tendon from another part of the body.
4. Repairing a damaged tendon in the knee is sometimes done by surgery.
5. Realigning the kneecap in cases of lateral release.

If the bones and cartilage in the knee joint are damaged beyond repair, a knee replacement surgery may be advised. In some cases, only a partial knee replacement may be needed.

These surgeries are considered quite safe but as with any other surgery, there are a few side effects and risks associated with them. Temporary pain/swelling of the joint is the most common amongst these but it typically resolves itself in a few days.