These pains are caused either by acute injuries – such as meniscal tears, anterior cruciate ligament tears and articular cartilage tears – or by degeneration of the joint (arthritis).

Immediate treatment and treatment is necessary, because otherwise the pain and difficulty in moving the knee may worsen over time, resulting in a deterioration in the quality of life of the sufferers. When they are not treated conservatively, surgical treatment is recommended.

“The developments in the surgical treatment of diseases and injuries of the knee concern techniques, technology and materials. Minimally invasive techniques with small holes/incisions that minimally injure the tissues, robotics and digital technology, the latest high-strength materials and fast-track anesthetic protocols offer immediate mobilization of the knee (shortly after surgery ), minimal pain, hospitalization from a few hours to one (1) day (depending on the operation), faster recovery and definitive treatment of knee pain”, he emphasizes Mr. Anastasios Deligeorgis, Orthopedic Surgeon-Sports Physician Deputy Director of Orthopedics Clinic of the HYGEIA hospital, Certified in its use robotic MAKO IOC Diploma in Sports Medicine.

“In this way, long and long surgeries with large incisions, multi-day hospitalization and difficult recovery are avoided,” he adds. Then Mr. Delegeorgis explains the treatment of each knee injury, mentioning the benefits that the new techniques offer to the patient:

Modern surgical treatment of Meniscus Tear

The menisci are two fibrocartilaginous formations that play an important protective role, distributing loads evenly and absorbing shocks. A meniscus tear is one of the most common knee injuries. After an acute rupture (rather than a chronic degeneration) we have to deal with the damage immediately.

“The latest international guidelines aim to preserve as much of the meniscus as possible and, when possible, repair it with suturing, rather than removing the injured areas. Preserving the meniscus helps the knee function better and prevent the development of arthritis.

But when the tear is located in an area that does not bleed and cannot be sutured, then only the damaged part is removed (partial meniscectomy), keeping as much of the meniscus intact as possible.

The treatment is done with arthroscopy, a minimally invasive method, without the need for hospitalization. With arthroscopy, the orthopedic surgeon through two (2) holes of a few millimeters (i.e. not an open surgery), with the help of a microscopic camera (arthroscope) and special micro-tools, locates the damage, chooses the appropriate treatment method and repairs it. The operated limb is immediately mobilized as soon as the effect of anesthesia wears off and the patient returns home the same day,” he says.

Surgical treatment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Rupture

The anterior cruciate ligament is a key ligament, important for knee stability. After its rupture, there is instability that can lead to micro-injuries that in turn end up in the appearance of arthritis, i.e. destruction of the knee.

“The surgical treatment here is also arthroscopic (“ligamentoplasty” of the anterior cruciate ligament) through holes of a few millimeters, i.e. without opening the knee joint. It involves replacing the torn anterior cruciate ligament, usually using a graft from the patient himself.

The application of the sophisticated arthroscopic technique All INSIDE presents even better functional and aesthetic results”, he points out and continues: “it is an even less invasive technique that:

• Causes less tissue injury
• Replaces the severed cruciate with a single tendon (graft) of the patient’s hamstrings instead of two (thus saving one tendon from being used as a graft)
• Less bone removal is done
• It can also be applied to teenagers who are not yet skeletally mature.”

Benefits of ALLINSIDE for the patient

Less postoperative pain

Faster and stronger integration of the graft into the bone

Faster and better postoperative recovery

Excellent knee stability

Surgical treatment of Arthritis

When we talk about arthritis we mean the complete destruction of the joint, i.e. the deterioration of the cartilage that covers the bones and the soft tissues that surround it.

“Knee arthroplasty is indicated for patients who suffer from advanced arthritis to such an extent that their quality of life is significantly affected. It is a surgical operation to replace the damaged surfaces of the joint with an artificial prosthesis.

Knee arthroplasty can be done with great precision thanks to advanced digital and robotic systems.

First, the orthopedic surgeon enters into the computer a 3D CT scan taken on the patient of the limb to be operated on. He then designs the surgery on the computer based on each patient’s unique anatomy. At the time of the surgery, with the help of a robotic arm, he performs the operation exactly as he had planned it, without any margin of error”, concludes Mr. Deligiorgis.

Advantages of robotic knee arthroplasty

• High accuracy (millimeter) of implant placement thanks to personalized, 3D preoperative planning and robotic assistance during surgery
• Ability to assess ligamentous stability intraoperatively
• Less destruction of bone and soft tissue
• Less blood loss
• Minimization of complications and the need for reoperation
• Less postoperative pain
• Shorter hospital stay
• Faster mobilization and recovery

*At the HYGEIA hospital, with the latest generation MAKO robotic assistance system, knee and hip arthroplasty operations can be performed with great precision (millimeters) and minimal invasiveness. Also, the newer materials used for artificial implants are very durable and compatible with the body for long-lasting results.

**These operations are recommended to be performed by certified orthopedic surgeons using the robotic MAKO.