The rising cost of health care has taken “simple” out of almost every picture today. Obesity is linked with degenerative disease of the hips and knees. A high body weight is also linked to a poor result after the joints are replaced.

A recent study at The Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland compared total knee replacements (TKRs) in obese and nonobese adults. The patients all got the same joint implant (one that has been used successfully for many years).

Results were reviewed after five years. Being overweight had a negative impact on the success rate of TKRs. More implants failed in the obese group than in the nonobese group. Obese patients with failed implants had lower satisfaction rates.

There are improved medical treatments for obesity today. Encourage your brother-in-law to see his doctor and find out what are his options. He may be able to at least improve his health before his knees wear out and he faces the risks of surgery.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com.The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic.

It might be time for a follow-up visit with your doctor or therapist. Tests of motion, strength, balance, and coordination can guide you. Patients exercising on their own can still show major weakness even years after a total knee replacement. This can put you at risk for falls and other injuries.

Every person is different and has his or her own unique needs for rehab after joint replacement. A closer look at what you’re doing and how you doing can lead to an answer to your question.

It’s likely that some form of exercise will be advised. Regular exercise and physical activity has been shown to keep joints healthy, even joints already affected by arthritis. Make it worth your while to exercise. Find out what’s best for you in this phase of your recovery.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com.The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic.

It’s possible but not likely. Studies show permanent nerve damage after nerve blocks is very low. In fact when nerve damage occurs, most patients recover completely within three months’ time. Minor long-term problems can occur such as mild muscle weakness or a small patch of numbness.

Ask your doctor what his or her experience has been using nerve blocks. Find out what other problems can occur and how often this happens. Consider the benefits of a preoperative nerve block: less pain and less use of morphine or other painkillers after the operation.

Studies show a single-injection femoral nerve block is a simple and safe way to reduce pain after total knee replacement.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com.The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic.

You may want to discuss this with your therapist. It’s best to work out a schedule that will enable you to exercise throughout the day at regular intervals. It’s understood that early on in the rehab program patients are still recovering from the operation. This is also the crucial time for getting as much motion as possible.

Maintain a good diet and get plenty of sleep at night. Check with your doctor about your fatigue level if it seems excessive. It may be drug-induced or you could have some other medical reason for it.

Some patients choose two times during the day when they set aside what they are doing and carry out their exercises. Others prefer to set a timer and do one or two exercises every hour. Your therapist will be able to advise you on which is best for you depending on how much joint motion you have.

Find out what your joint motion is and how much you need to increase it for each day, week, and over the next month. Make that your goal and work towards it everyday.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com.The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic.

Cold therapy, also known as cryotherapy is thought to help joints that are closer to the surface of the skin. The knee doesn’t have much soft tissue, fat, or muscle covering the joint. The cold can get down into the joint easier.

Large muscles and at least one layer of fat cover the hip. It’s always been thought unlikely that the cooling action would reach deep into the hip joint.

However a new study from Japan may prove this idea wrong. They used cryotherapy with a group of 23 total hip replacement patients. The group was compared to another group who had a hip replacement but without cold therapy afterwards.

The researchers report good success with the cold therapy. Patients got pain relief faster. They used fewer pain meds. They could begin rehab sooner. Based on this study, the use of cold after hip surgery may become more popular in the months and years ahead.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com.The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic.

Most patients have a fair amount of pain, swelling, and stiffness the first eight weeks. They aren’t always able to advance their rehab program. The first two weeks are usually focused on warm-ups, specific exercises to strengthen the muscles, followed by a cool-down exercise period.

From two to six weeks more time is spent on functional skills like walking and stair climbing. Exercises get harder and last longer starting at five minutes and moving up to 20 minutes. By the end of six weeks the knee joint is ready to handle more demanding activity and exercise.

You’ll want to check with your doctor about how far and how fast you can go now. Having a physical therapist to supervise your home program is often a good idea.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com.The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic.

Dr. Ron Losee from Ennis, Montana, was the first to describe a test for ACL instability. It was called the Losee maneuver for many years. Now it’s sometimes referred to as the “pivot-shift” test.

When the test is done, the patient is asked, “Is this how your knee feels when it gives out?” The doctor doesn’t always feel a change in the knee during the test, so the patient’s report is important.

A positive pivot-shift may be a sign that surgery is needed to repair the torn ligament. There is a device that measures laxity between the two knees (a KT-2000). The results of one test usually aren’t enough to tell which patients need an operation. Tests like the pivot-shift, along with several others, are still important.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com.The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic.

Maybe not! A recent study from Mayo Clinic reports good results for adults over age 90 getting their first total knee replacement (TKR). They also report on patients ages 90 to 102 who had a repair or replacement of a previous TKR.

Doctors are expecting to see more and more adults in their 90s (and older) outliving the TKR put in when they were in their 70s. Likewise, as more people live longer, first timers in need of a joint replacement may show up in their 90s.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com.The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic.

Americans are living longer and in better health. This means they are more likely to need a major joint replacement as they reach their 80s. Joint replacements are available for the shoulder, hip, or knee.

These operations do put older adults at increased risk of problems.

Studies of 80-year old (and older) adults compared to younger adults show there is an increase in the number of serious problems that occur. But the overall rate is low, and it’s more likely to happen in elderly patients with other health problems.

Results should be good if your grandmother is in good health and the doctor has approved the surgery.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com.The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic.

It sounds like your surgeon used an arthroscope to enter the joint. This long, slender tool pokes through the skin and tissue right into the knee joint. A tiny TV camera on the end allows the physician to see inside the joint.

There’s a special part of the arthroscope called a cannula. The cannula can be a rigid or flexible tube. It’s used to drain fluid or guide other instruments into the joint.

New tools have been made for arthroscopic surgery. There are forceps, shavers, measuring rods, and even tiny drills that can pass through the cannula. Once inside, the doctor uses special foot pedals and hand held devices to guide the camera and operate the tools. Frayed tissue can be shaved smooth. Torn cartilage can be sewn or glued back down. Bone chips can be removed and so on.

You can watch a total knee replacement surgery and get more information on Dr. Zehr’s Web site.

For more information on this subject, call The Zehr Center for Orthopaedics at 239-596-0100 or visit www.zehrcenter.com.The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic.