If you have arthritis that impacts only one side of your knee, you may be a strong candidate for a procedure called knee osteotomy. The purpose of a knee ostomy is to shift your body weight, alleviating pressure on the damaged portion of your knee and redirecting it to the healthy side. Osteotomy can also be used as a more conservative approach to a total knee replacement, delaying the replacement for as long as ten years. To learn more about knee osteotomy and whether it might be beneficial for you, contact Kristofer J. Jones, MD, in Los Angeles today. While located in Westwood, we are proud to serve surrounding areas such as Santa Monica, Brentwood, Century City, Culver City, Downtown, and Sherman Oaks.
Young, active people who only have arthritis on one side of the knee are the best candidates for knee osteotomy. Additionally, surgery is only warranted if the arthritis is causing pain or disability extensive enough to justify a procedure.
However, only a qualified surgeon, such as Dr. Jones, can help you determine whether you’re a good candidate for this procedure. As such, a thorough diagnostic examination will always precede any osteotomy.
When you arrive for surgery, you register in patient admissions and receive an identifying wristband before being led to a holding room. Here, a nurse reviews some information with you, measures your vital signs, and requests that you change into a gown.
Next, you’re taken to the operating room for your procedure, which Dr. Jones performs after administering general anesthesia or sedation. That measure ensures you don’t experience pain or anxiety and you won’t remember the procedure later.
When you wake up, you find yourself in the recovery room, where Dr. Jones and his nurses monitor your vital signs to ensure a safe recovery.
Knee osteotomy is an in-patient procedure, which means it usually requires a hospital stay. Most patients spend 2-4 days in the hospital before they’re discharged and allowed to recover at home.
You may need to wear a brace or cast on your knee for several weeks to ensure it heals in the right position. Additionally, you’ll need crutches for as long as six weeks to prevent further injury and allow healing. Dr. Jones also prescribes physical therapy to restore your knee's functionality completely.
There are several things you can do to help manage pain and promote healing at home, including:
