You ll be glad to know that surgeons at aspire orthopedic institute use a minimally invasive knee replacement technique called quadriceps sparing this means they are able to implant the knee joint replacement without dislocating the knee or making a large incision in the quadriceps muscle and tendon as is done in traditional surgery.
Quad sparing knee replacement doctors.
To access the knee joint during traditional knee replacement surgery the surgeon cuts through quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh the quad tendon that attaches the four quadriceps muscles to the kneecap and other soft tissue.
Minimally invasive quadriceps sparing total knee replacement is a new surgical technique that allows surgeons to insert the same time tested reliable knee replacement implants through a shorter incision using surgical approach that avoids trauma to the quadriceps muscle see figure 1 which is the most important muscle group around the knee.
The quad sparing approach cuts just the inside of the knee cap.
The same artificial joint used in conventional knee replacements is fit into place.
In fact therapists have you on your feet within hours after the procedure.
The main potential benefits of quadriceps sparing total knee replacement include.
Instead of cutting the quadriceps tendon surgeons make a 3 5 inch incision on the knee and split or dissect under a single quadriceps muscle.
The technique requires only a 3 to 4 inch incision.
We specialize in minimally invasive quad sparing knee and hip replacements including the use of robot assisted technology.
There is definitely a steep learning curve regarding the use of these instruments and many physicians including myself worry about the accuracy of the bone cuts and limb alignment with these side cutting instruments.
The surgeon makes a 3 to 4 inch incision in the side of the knee and performs the knee replacement using special instruments guided by computer imaging.
Rick nixon has been trained through the zimmer institute in warsaw indiana to perform the patented zimmer quad sparing mis total knee replacement and is the only surgeon in the houston area who performs the technique.
A quadriceps sparing knee replacement is often called minimally invasive because the orthopedic surgeon makes smaller incisions in the muscles that support the knee.
This new technique which is sometimes called quadriceps sparing knee replacement uses an incision that is typically only 3 4 in length see figure 2.
Traditional total knee replacement entails cutting into the quadriceps tendon which connects the large quadriceps muscle group on the front of the thigh to the kneecap.
Quad sparing knee replacement surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that does not involve cutting the quadriceps tendon.
Patients of all ages are walking within a few hours and often go home the same day as their procedure.
