Knee treatment

Your knee is a complex joint that supports your body’s weight and movement. When pain makes movement challenging, count on the experts at Aurora BayCare Medical Center to get you off the sidelines quickly.

Advanced treatment for knee pain: Why choose Aurora BayCare Medical Center?

Our doctors specialize in knee anatomy, diseases of the knee and treatment for injuries of all types. We offer tailored programs focused on reducing pain and increasing your mobility. Program highlights include:

• Recognized expertise: Our fellowship-trained orthopedic specialists and surgeons have extra education and experience in treating knee problems. We’re at the forefront of state-of-the-art surgical techniques for knee issues.
• Leading-edge nonsurgical approaches: We offer alternatives to surgery, including regenerative medicine, to help your body heal injured tissue.
• Sophisticated diagnostic tools: We use on-site musculoskeletal ultrasound to provide same-day diagnosis so you can begin treatment right away.
• National and regional recognition:S. News & World Report ranked our knee replacement program as high performing in its list of 2020 best regional hospitals. We were also the first hospital to offer cell-based cartilage transplantation to treat cartilage damage in the knee.

Knee treatments and services

Our orthopedic experts treat a range of knee injuries and conditions with surgery and with nonsurgical approaches. We offer:

Nonsurgical treatments for knee pain

We treat some knee issues, such as minor meniscus tears, without surgery. Doctors may recommend that you treat your knee with:

• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can help reduce any swelling. Your doctor may recommend other medications to reduce pain and inflammation.

We also offer orthopedic rehabilitation to strengthen the muscles around your knee. Our experts offer specific exercises and therapies to reduce pain and strengthen the knee joint.

Learn more about nonoperative orthopedics.

Knee surgery

Our orthopedic experts use sophisticated knee surgery techniques to repair tears, remove loose cartilage and treat pain. We offer a range of a surgical techniques, including arthroscopy, knee repairs and realignment.

Total knee replacement

Using minimally invasive surgical techniques, experts remove damaged bone and cartilage and replace it with an artificial knee joint. Our advanced knee replacement surgeries help improve function and mobility, while reducing pain.

Partial knee replacement

Sometimes, arthritis or injury affects only part of the knee joint. Doctors may replace damaged bone and tissue with an artificial joint piece, preserving healthy bone and tissue.

Surgeons use smaller incisions in partial knee replacement, so it is less invasive than total knee replacement surgery. This option may be right for you if your knee has good range of motion and stable ligaments.

Regenerative medicine

Count on our orthopedic experts to offer the most advanced biologic therapies to heal damage and reduce pain. Our regenerative medicine program features sophisticated treatments such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell therapies.

Is your hip and knee pain cause for concern?

Hip and knee pain doesn’t have to interfere with your life. Our hip and knee pain quiz evaluates your knees and hips, gauges the severity of any issues and gives you an idea what to do next based on your results.

Take the hip and knee pain quiz

Helping athletes recover

We offer therapies to help improve your athletic performance and reduce pain. Learn more about our sports medicine services.

Managing workplace injuries

On-the-job injuries require special considerations. Our specialists see you right away to evaluate injury and begin treatment. We also work with your employer to align work tasks with injury restrictions so you can get back to work.

Knee conditions we treat

Your knee joint includes bones, ligaments and tendons that work together to support your body and move your legs. Bones forming the knee are the top of your tibia (shinbone), the bottom of your femur (thighbone) and the patella (kneecap).

Strong bands of connective tissue called the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) stabilize the knee. The connective tissue at the sides of your knees (collateral ligaments) holds the upper and lower leg bones together.

The meniscus, a layer of cartilage (tough, rubbery tissue), sits between the femur and tibia to cushion the bones. Injuries to any of these bones, ligaments or tendons can cause pain and make daily activities and sports difficult. We treat:

Alignment problems

Legs that aren’t straight may cause problems in the bones and ligaments because this misalignment changes how the knees bear weight. If misalignment is not corrected, damage to the knee’s supporting structure and cartilage can occur over time.

Patellar malalignment is a condition in which the kneecap (patella) pushes out to the side when the knee is bent, causing pressure and tissue irritation.

Arthritis

Arthritis causes cartilage to weaken, leading to painful bone-on-bone contact. We treat knee bone and cartilage damage caused by:

• Osteoarthritis, a condition in which cartilage wears away over time
• Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease in which inflamed membranes cause cartilage and ligament damage

Bursitis

When the fluid-filled sacs that help cushion joints (bursae) become inflamed, they cause pain and stiffness. Injury, overuse and infection can cause knee bursitis.

Fractures and dislocations

Trauma to the knee can cause any of the bones in the joint to break, known as knee fracture. A knee dislocation happens when the bones slip out of place because of injury or a structural problem in the joint.

Ligament tears

Ligament tears occur when knees receive a forceful blow, or when knees twist or bend, either sideways or backward. These tears cause pain, swelling and instability in the knee. Our orthopedic specialists repair tears of the ACL, PCL and collateral ligaments.

Meniscus tears

Tears to the meniscus can happen on contact or over time as the meniscus ages. These tears occur when the knee twists or turns, and may cause pain, swelling or weakness.

Runner’s knee

Runner’s knee, or patellofemoral pain syndrome, is pain in the front of the knee and around the kneecap. The pain often worsens with running, jumping, going up or down stairs or sitting with your knee bent for a long time.