Hip & Knee Disorders
Our team at The Mid North Coast Hip & Knee Clinic focus exclusively on the management of hip and knee disorders, allowing for expert, specialised and up-to-date advice and treatments for our patients. We treat patients from all along the Mid North Coast, including Yamba, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Taree, and Forster.
Hip & Knee
Arthritis
Hip pain and knee pain beyond middle age is commonly caused by arthritis. Arthritis is a broad term and osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is also referred to as degenerative joint disease. Arthritis can cause progressive pain and progressive difficulty performing day to day tasks.
Meniscus
Tear
Each knee has two C-shaped rubbery cartilage known as meniscus that acts as a shock absorber between the thigh bone and the shinbone. Forceful twisting or sudden rotation of the knee can cause a meniscus tear. Elderly people are prone to meniscus tears as the cartilage weakens or wears out with age. A torn meniscus is characterized by swelling, pain and stiffness of the knee.
Patella
Instability
The kneecap or patella attaches to the tibia and femur by tendons, and it fits into a groove at the end of the femur known as the patellofemoral compartment, where it slides up and down as the knee straightens and bends. Patellofemoral instability occurs when the knee cap moves outside the groove. Patellofemoral instability can be classified as subluxation and dislocation.
Trauma – Fracture Treatment
Fractures (broken bones) unfortunately can occur following a fall at home, in the garden, on the street, off a bicycle, on walking trails, during sport, and in the playground. Fractures can occur throughout the age groups from toddlers to the elderly. The most common sites for fractures are the wrist, ankle, and hip. The site and type of fracture will determine whether surgery is required to restore alignment and to restore stability to the fracture, in order to facilitate the healing process.
Sports
Injuries
Injury is unfortunately part of the nature of sport. Sports injuries can result from direct impact or a direct blow, but also from overuse. Treatment depends on the site of injury and the severity or degree of injury. Physiotherapy can play a central role in rehabilitating the injured site. The site and degree of injury will determine whether surgery is required.
Treatments We Provide
Total Hip
Replacement
Hip replacement surgery (total hip replacement) is one of the most successful operations in Orthopaedic Surgery. Hip replacement surgery is designed to alleviate pain and to permit a return to a normal lifestyle. Hip replacement surgery is recommended when there has been enough pain, enough problem, over enough time from the arthritic hip.
Total Knee
Replacement
Knee replacement surgery (total knee replacement) is designed to alleviate pain, to restore knee movement and function, and to permit a return to a normal lifestyle. In knee replacement surgery, the arthritic knee is replaced with biomedically engineered metallic and plastic components with potentially two decades or more of durability.
Revision Total Hip Replacement
Overtime, a total hip replacement can start to fail for a variety but limited number of reasons, and repeat surgery (a revision total hip replacement) may be required. A revision total hip replacement requires careful planning and investigation, and the surgery can be more complex than a first-time total hip replacement.
ACL
Reconstruction
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the major structures that provides stability to the knee. ACL rupture can lead to the knee giving way or to feel unstable notably with pivoting movements, as when changing direction. ACL reconstruction surgery aims to restore stability to the knee. Surgery is performed through small incisions and is arthroscopically assisted. Surgery is one part of the ACL reconstruction treatment along with pre-surgery and post-surgery physiotherapy.
Knee
Arthroscopy
Knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive diagnostic surgical approach used by orthopedic surgeons in order to examine the affected joint(s). During the procedure, the surgeon makes a small incision and inserts a tiny camera called an arthroscope into the knee allowing them to view the inside of the joint on a screen.
Direct Anterior Approach
Hip Replacement
Understanding the procedure, preparation and recovery.
