Orthopaedic

The anterior cruciate ligament is a ligament in the center of the knee that prevents the shin bone (tibia) from moving forward on the femur (thigh bone). A tear of this ligament can cause the knee to give way during physical activity. If left untreated, cartilage damage and early arthritis may occur.

ACL reconstruction is surgery to replace this torn ligament. The procedure is usually performed by having a camera inserted into the knee, which is known as knee arthroscopy. The surgeon evaluates the cartilage and ligaments of the knee by viewing the monitor and makes additional small incisions around the knee to fix the new ligament in place, using screws or other devices. If the patient’s own tissue is used for the new ligament, a larger incision will be made to take the tissue.

Most broken bones require a cast or splint. However, bone fracture surgical repair may be necessary to fix a broken bone using plates, nails, screws or pins. Surgical repair is recommended for complicated fractures that cannot be realigned (reduced) by nonsurgical methods. This is especially true of joint fractures.

Using general or local anesthesia, a surgical cut is made over the fractured bone, and the bone is placed in proper position with screws, pins, or plates attached to or placed in the bone, temporarily or permanently. If bone has been lost due to fracture, a surgeon may do a bone graft to help with proper healing or speed the healing process. This may be done using the patient’s own bone (usually taken from the hip), donor bone or synthetic substitute.

This surgery requires replacing damaged joint surfaces with metal, ceramic and plastic prosthetic components. The socket component is always replaced with a cement-free metal shell, as its porous surface allows bone to grow into its substance. Some shells have a plastic, metal or ceramic liner that inserts into the metal and acts as a bearing surface. For traditional hip replacement, the head and neck of the femur are replaced with a metal stem fixed to the bone with or without cement. Review this document to see the Total Hip Arthroplasty Protocol.

This surgery is done with a tiny camera to see inside your knee, along with other inserted medical instruments to repair your knee. Knee arthroscopy may be recommended for these knee problems:

• Torn meniscus
• Torn or damaged anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
• Inflamed or damaged lining of the joint called the synovium
• Misalignment of the kneecap (patella) that puts it out of position
• Small pieces of broken cartilage in the knee joint
• Removal of Baker’s cyst, a fluid-filled swelling behind the knee caused by inflammation or arthritis.
• Some fractures of the bones of the knee

VMH’s robotic-assisted total knee replacement utilizes OmniBotics® from OMNILife science, Inc. With it, your surgeon uses patented OMNIBotics Bone Morphing™ technology, that quickly produces a 3D model of your knee at the start of your surgery. Your surgeon uses that model to plan bone resections and implant position, with accuracy that has been shown to be significantly better than other knee replacement procedures available. When the implant is in place, the computer confirms its precise placement and overall alignment.

The goal of robotic-assisted total knee replacement is to restore function and mobility and provide pain relief by replacing damaged cartilage and bone with an implant system. Almost all patients identified as candidates for total knee replacement can benefit from the OmniBotics approach.

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body. It consists of a complex arrangement of structures working together to provide the movement necessary for daily life. Four bones and a network of soft tissue structures (ligaments, tendons, and muscles) work together to produce shoulder movement.

Certain work or sports can put great demands upon the shoulder, and injury can occur when the limits of the movement are exceeded and or individual structures are overloaded, such as the rotator cuff.  Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is performed through small incisions using a camera to visualize these structures for repair.  This is effective in reducing pain and improving mobility and function.

Shoulder replacement involves removing the arteritic ball and replacing it with a metal component. The socket may or may not be replaced with a plastic component. Arthroscopic shoulder surgery can effectively treat rotator cuff tears as a result of an acute injury, accident, dislocation or fracture, or chronic degeneration (wear and tear) that does not respond to medication, physical therapy or other nonsurgical treatments. Both create ongoing pain or weakness in the injured shoulder that interferes with a person’s ability to perform tasks.