New Orleans Knee Injuries

Sports Medicine in New Orleans

The knee is a complex joint that consists of many different components, which makes it susceptible to a wide range of injuries. While many knee injuries can be treated without surgery, surgery may be the only way to successfully resolve other types of knee issues. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, nearly 19.4 million people visited their doctor’s office due to knee problems in 2003. It was also the most common reason why people visited an orthopaedic surgeon. If you have damaged your knee, it may be beneficial for you to visit Dr. Hartman at Michael W. Hartman, MD. He is Board Certified and Fellowship-Trained in Sports Medicine and can help patients resolve many different types of musculoskeletal issues. For more information regarding Dr. Hartman’s sports medicine and New Orleans orthopaedic surgery specialties, please contact his office.

Types of Knee Injuries

With the knee being the largest joint in the body, many people suffer injuries to their knees. Four common knee injuries are:

• ACL
• MCL
• PCL
• Torn Cartilage

An ACL injury can occur when a person changes direction rapidly, slows down when running, or lands from a jump. Athletes who ski, play basketball, or who wear cleats are susceptible to tears in their ACLs, which, if left untreated, can result in serious and possibly permanent injuries. An MCL injury is often caused by a direct blow to the outside of the knee. Football and soccer players are often the types of individuals who will suffer from an MCL injury. When an athlete receives a blow to the front of the knee or missteps on a playing field, they may suffer from a PCL injury. Torn cartilage in the knee is often referred to as a torn meniscus. A meniscus is a piece of cartilage that is attached to the knee’s ligaments. Its purpose is to act like a shock absorber but can torn when a person twists, cuts, pivots, decelerates, or is tackled by another person.

ACL Reconstruction in New Orleans

Depending on a patient’s situation, they may require ACL reconstruction surgery. ACL tears are not often sewn back together because they have been shown to fail over time. Instead, ACL tears are being reconstructed using grafts taken from a hamstring tendon, quadriceps tendon, patellar tendon, Achilles tendon, semitendinosus, gracilis tendon, posterior tibialis tendon, or from a patellar tendon autograft or allograft. Patients who receive ACL reconstruction have a long-term success rate of 82-95%. If you have not sought a doctor’s assistance with your knee injury and it is not healing on its own, please contact Dr. Michael Hartman at Michael W. Hartman, MD at 504-412-1705. He can help patients who suffer from many different types of musculoskeletal issues, and strives to help every patient return to their active lifestyle. Please visit the rest of Dr. Hartman’s website to learn more about his specialty areas of sports medicine!