Melbourne Knee Surgeons
The knees are under some of the most intense pressure and usage in the entire body. Knee injuries are not just solely for high-impact sporting athletes, simply standing up and walking around on a day-to-day basis can potentially lead to knee problems. Oz Orthopaedics is a Melbourne knee specialist with years of practical experience, successfully treating a variety of concerns.
Knee injuries can strike at any time and can potentially take you off your feet for frustrating, extended periods. We provide a wide range of services to treat our patients with experience and care. Our services are ideally suited to treating major problems as well as offering pain relief and small clean-ups. We know how important it is to have complete confidence in your body. Whether you need ACL reconstruction, cartilage preservation, meniscal repair or a total knee replacement – we’re the Melbourne knee specialists to get the job done!
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding with any surgical procedures, you are entitled to seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner of your choice.
Conditions
Knee Anatomy & Function
The knee is the largest joint in the body, and one of the most easily injured. It is made up of the lower end of the thighbone (femur), which rotates on the upper end of the shinbone (tibia), and the knee cap (patella), which slides in a groove on the end of the femur. The knee also contains large ligaments, which help control motion by connecting bones and by bracing the joint against abnormal types of motion. Another important structure, the meniscus, is a wedge of soft cartilage between the femur and tibia that serves to cushion the knee and helps it absorb shock during motion.
Read More Knee Injuries
In 2003, patients made approximately 19.4 million visits to physicians’ offices because of knee problems. It was the most common reason for visiting an orthopaedic surgeon.
The knee is a complex joint with many components, making it vulnerable to a variety of injuries. Many knee injuries can be successfully treated without surgery, while others require surgery to correct. Here are some facts about the knee from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Read More Knee Arthritis
There are three basic types of arthritis that may affect the knee joint.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of knee arthritis. OA is usually a slowly progressive degenerative disease in which the joint cartilage gradually wears away. It most often affects middle-aged and older people.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory type of arthritis that can destroy the joint cartilage. RA can occur at any age. RA generally affects both knees.
Post-traumatic Arthritis
Post-traumatic arthritis can develop after an injury to the knee. This type of arthritis is similar to osteoarthritis and may develop years after a fracture, ligament injury, or meniscus tear.
Read MoreTreatments
Robotic Knee Replacement
Mr. Ikram Nizam is certified to do Robotic TOTAL Knee replacements.
In the past surgeons have always strived to achieve perfection to give the best possible outcomes to the patient in knee replacement surgery.
Best outcomes are achieved when the components (parts of a knee replacement – Femoral and Tibial components) are placed in the most appropriate position for that particular patient
Read More Patient Matched TKR
The patient matched instrumentation uses Xrays and 3-dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to give the surgeon a customized template (model) for each patient (to compliment their anatomy). This enables the surgeon to precisely choose prosthesis size and proper alignment and placement.
Read More Knee Arthroscopy
The surgery is usually performed in a single day and is not particularly time consuming. In most circumstances, patients will be able to apply weight through their joint almost immediately afterwards. This is enabled through LIA (Local Infiltration Analgesia), but can depend on the specifics of the procedures performed.
Read More Watch Dr. Nizam's Videos Meniscal Repair/Replacement
The meniscus is a ‘C’ shaped piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber and conforms to the surfaces around our bones. Meniscus actively distributes load bearing to protect the articular (joint) surface and helps to prevent or delay the on-set of arthritis.
Read More ACL Reconstruction
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a tough, dense, connective tissue that is crucially important for stabilising ligaments in the knee and preventing the femur from sliding forward and creating discomfort and possible ACL injury by abnormally pivoting on the tibia. Knee reconstruction surgery relieves pain and restores the flexibility and stability needed for performing rotatory movements, twisting, and turning.
Read More Tibial Osteotomy
The knee is made up of three compartments. Tibial osteotomy, commonly known as ‘bone-cutting’, is a procedure that performs a realignment of an arthritis-affected area and shifts the weight bearing load to other healthier compartments. This reduces abnormal loading stresses on damaged cartilage and bone around the knee. The main aims are to relieve pain, improve function and alter the natural history of degenerative arthritis.
Read More Damage to Articular Joint Surface – Cartilage Preservation
Cartilage preservation is your best bet for protecting the health and performance of joints. Cartilage acts as a buffer against joints grating against each other. Treatments can aid in significantly reducing pain and go a long way towards restoring proper function.
Read More Total Knee Replacement
Total knee replacement surgery is commonly performed for painful degenerative arthritis of the knee, post traumatic arthritis and other conditions such as inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid. Treatment reduces pain and improves function and flexibility. The surgeon will normally discuss all non-operative measures like activity modifications, weight loss, optimizing medication, temporary injections of steroid/hyaluronic acid and physiotherapy before considering surgical options.
Read More Watch Dr. Nizam's Videos Computer Navigated TKR
This is essentially a “mini GPS system” which lets a surgeon “track”, analyse and monitor on a screen, the instrumentation used during a knee replacement. This system produces a 3-d model of a patient’s knee on a computer screen using infra-red technology (probes attached to the femur and tibia bones). This enables a surgeon to “align the components properly” after doing the bone preparation using the navigation.
Read More Partial Knee Replacement
Partial knee replacement surgery is an ideal option for less serious knee problems and offers the benefit of much faster recovery time than a full knee operation. This is perfect for limiting your lay-off time and getting you back on your feet as quickly as possible.
Read More Revision Knee Replacement
A revision knee replacement is required when a part of, or the entire knee treatment needs to be revised because of complications or a complete failure. This can involve a small routine clean-up, or an extensive operation to perform total repair.
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