With increasing popularity of sports, knee injuries are on the rise in India.
Dr. Samir Pilankar is a reputed joint replacement surgeon with 20 years of experience & is rated among the best in Mumbai. He is specialist in mini incision technique with computer navigation in joint replacement surgery and arthroscopy resulting in faster recovery. He is one of the few surgeons in India performing revision Arthroscopy & Arthroplasty surgeries. After extensive training in renowned hospitals in Switzerland, Spain & Germany, he has successfully performed over 2000 Arthroscopy & Joint replacement surgeries.
In this article he has clarified common doubts about knee injuries.
1) What are ligaments?
Dr. Pilankar : ligaments are taut soft tissue fibrous bands which connect two bones at a joint.
The function of Ligaments is to give stability to the joint, while also allowing for joint mobility.
2) how many ligaments are in the knee joint?
Dr. Pilankar : there are 4 main ligaments in the knee
1) ACL – Anterior cruciate ligament
2) PCL – Posterior cruciate ligament
3) MCL – Medial collateral ligament
4) LCL – Lateral collateral ligament
All ligaments need to be in good strength to allow for painless knee function.
3) how do ligaments tear?
Dr. Pilankar : when the ligaments are stretched beyond their capacity, the ligament can tear. Tears can happen Sports like soccer, basketball , hockey where there is a sudden twisting motion, or an incorrect landing from a jump.
4) what is knee sprain? Is it same as ligament tear?
Dr. Pilankar: sprains are injuries to ligament in which only a few fibres are damaged but the ligament is intact.
In complete ligament tear, the ligament continuity is disrupted.
5) what is ACL Ligament ?
Dr. Pilankar: It is the most important ligament of the knee and also the one most commonly injured.
It is located in the centre of the knee and controls the rotation and forward movement of the shin.
6) what are symptoms of ACL tear?
Dr. Pilankar : Any pain or swelling in the knee which does not settle in 3 days should alert the patient . Also bearing weight on the leg is painful and patient might get a sensation of ‘ give way’ while walking
7) Does ACL Tear always require surgery?
Dr. Pilankar : Various studies have shown that delaying ACL surgery, puts the other structures of the knee at risk. Patients who present late for surgery usually have additional damage to meniscus and articular cartilage.
With modern arthroscopic technique, after ACL surgery the patient can resume his initial lifestyle without any hindrance.
8) what is Arthroscopy?
Dr. Pilankar: In arthroscopy the surgery is performed through small pinhole incisions, resulting in minimal pain and early return to activity.
Since there is hardly any blood loss, there is minimal pain postoperative. This allows for early resumption of sports activity.
Arthroscopy has completely revolutionized knee surgery.
9) what are the recent advances in ACL surgery?
Dr. Pilankar : Presently 3 main advances have occurred which have further improved the results of Arthroscopy in ACL surgery.
1. Anatomic tunnels for fixing the ACL graft
2. Computer navigation to precisely stabilize the graft
3. Better quality instruments and implants
Together they have made ACL Arthroscopy a predictable success. All the sportsmen we have operated have gone back to playing sports at the same level of intensity.
for further queries : email – samirpilankar@gmail.com
website – www.arthroscopymumbai.co.in
