Knee Conditions
Procedures for Knee Arthritis, Meniscus Tears, Tendon & Ligament Tears, Overuse Injuries and Other Conditions
The knee is a complex joint surrounded by connective tissues that supports the joint to give it stability: tendons, ligaments, and muscles. This tissue is composed of collagen, the most abundant protein in the body. When tiny tears occur from excess strain or sprain, the connective tissue generally does not heal well, resulting in more serious injury or chronic inflammation and arthritis.
Stem Cell Therapy and Platelet Rich Plasma Injections (PRP) accelerate regeneration of healthy tissue in damaged areas to strengthen the joint, improve function, and reduce pain. The ability to heal is determined by many factors, some known and some unknown. We do know that when healing is incomplete, tissue damage becomes chronic, leading to arthritis, mechanical dysfunction and harmful stress to adjoining structural areas.
Tissue found in joints has poor blood supply, causing it to heal slowly and often incompletely because of insufficient cellular supply. Regenerative procedures direct your own healing cells directly into damaged tissue to enhance repair on a cellular level. Scientific advances in the understanding of how the body actually heals through tissue regeneration provides physicians the knowledge to enhance healing from within rather than invasive surgery. Read more
Viscosupplementation with hyaluronic acid involves the injection of a thick, gel-like substance that relieves pain by lubricating and cushioning your knee joint. Hyaluronic acid (HA) naturally occurs throughout the body and is a significant component of synovial fluid found in joints. Hyaluronic acid also has anti-inflammatory effects that further reduce pain and temporarily limit deterioration. When injected into the knee, HA allows bones to move smoothly over one another and acts as a shock absorber for joint loads.
Regenexx is a world-wide network of select, highly skilled physicians who are specially trained in interventional procedures for orthopedic conditions. Regenexx provides the world's most advanced, research-driven, regenerative orthopedic procedures in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Specializing in advanced non-surgical procedures for joint Injuries, osteoarthritis, and other orthopedic conditions, Dr. Minotti brings these procedures to you!
If you have injured your knee, or if normal wear and tear has caused degeneration of your joint, PRP may help. It uses parts of your own blood to help repair knee damage. It may help you avoid surgery.
Regenexx procedures are designed to help reduce knee pain and improve function with precise highly specific image-guided medical procedures.
View live results from the Regenexx registry.
Common conditions of the knee
Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that erodes the articular cartilage between the bones of the knees. It occurs most often in older people. Lack of protective cartilage results in friction that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and restricted movement. Common causes include: overweight, excessive strain over prolonged periods of time, previous injury, growth abnormalities, and joint diseases. Regenerative procedures offer an alternative to joint replacement and harmful steroids.
Meniscus & cartilage wear and tears. The two wedge-shape cartilage pieces between the thighbone and the shinbone are called menisci. Menisci stabilize the knee joint and act as shock absorbers. Meniscus tear is the most common knee injury in athletes. A torn meniscus causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and catching or locking in the knee. PRP is an excellent alternative to arthroscopic surgery.
Ligament & tendon injury. Ligaments and tendons, the connective tissues helping to stabilize the joint, are prone to injury during athletic activity. When stretched, these tissues can develop small micro-tears that are slow and difficult to heal, generally resulting in chronic conditions and arthritis. Because of poor blood supply, collagenous tissue generally does not heal completely. Scar tissue develops rather than healthy, functional tissue. Scar tissue is less elastic than healthy tissue, making the joint more immobile that further affects the structural integrity of the joint. Read more about healing of collagenous tissue.
Other common knee conditions
- Osgood-Schlatter disease
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome ("Runner's Knee")
- Patellar tracking Disorder
- Chondromalacia patella
- Jumper's knee
- Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome
We Can Help
To learn more about what we can do to help with your condition, call our office at 817-416-0970. We will thoroughly diagnose your condition and present you with treatment options. From there we will guide you along your road to recovery.