BENEFITS OF TISSUE
GUIDED SURGERY

For Patients:

  • Minimally invasive
  • Preserves the tissue
  • Quick recovery
  • Low level of pain
  • Patient specific

For Surgeons:

  • Self balancing procedure
  • Ease of use
  • Short tourniquet time
  • Precise and repeatable
  • Patient specific

Home > Patients > Conditions

Conditions

Osteoarthritis, the inflammation and gradual degeneration of cartilage and bone structures, is the most common condition requiring joint replacement surgery. This degeneration may be triggered by genetic factors, traumatic events like an athletic injury, a person’s occupation, or simply by advancing age.

Common joints affected by osteoarthritis are the knee, hip, shoulder and ankle. These joints all have bone-to-bone support surfaces stabilized by soft tissues, like ligaments and layer of cartilage. The cartilage layer allows the bones to glide smoothly when a leg, arm, or foot is moved. Cartilage does not have a direct blood supply, thus does not promote healing once the cartilage starts to degrade. When the cartilage layer begins to break down due to injury or age it eventually leads to bone-on-bone contact which is very painful. Recent advancements in orthopedic treatment of joint pain, including Tissue Guided Surgery (TGS®), provide a number of excellent options for the surgeon and the patient to consider. Today, treatment for some patients can be years earlier than it would have been in the past, allowing them early relief from pain and quick return to a more normal quality of life.

In the late stages of osteoarthritis, the most common treatment is a total knee replacement. In the earlier stages of the disease, only a portion of the knee is affected, leaving the surgeon with the option to reconstruct the entire knee or to reconstruct only the diseased portion. One of the many benefits of a partial knee replacement is the surgeon can treat only the part of the joint that has worn out. The surgical incision is smaller, unaffected bone is preserved and most importantly the stabilizing ligaments of the knee are retained, all of which can result in a shorter hospital stay and a quicker recovery time. Partial knee replacement is also the least invasive replacement procedure and does not eliminate future surgical options if needed.

Fortunately, the vast majority of people suffering from early stages of osteoarthritis can find pain relief through means other than joint replacement. For some, losing weight or changing their physical activities to less impact to low impact physical activities provides relief. For others, temporary pain relief is achieved through pharmaceutical medication.

Ask your surgeon, “Am I a candidate for a unicompartmental knee vs. a total knee?” As always, consultation with your surgeon is the best way to find out how to treat your joint pain.