Knee preservation
Knee preservation means keeping your own knee working well for as long as possible, delaying or avoiding a knee replacement. It’s aimed at people with early wear, cartilage damage or a knee that’s out of alignment, who want to stay active.
I completed a specialist fellowship in joint preservation at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, and it remains a central part of my practice.
Who it’s for
- People in their 20s to 60s with knee pain from early arthritis or cartilage damage
- Pain mainly on one side of the knee
- Bow legs or knock knees putting extra load through part of the joint
- Active people who aren’t ready for, or want to avoid, a replacement
Treatments
- Osteotomy (realignment): reshaping the shin or thigh bone to move weight away from the worn part of the knee
- Cartilage regeneration: repairing damaged patches of joint surface
- Non-surgical care: weight management, targeted physiotherapy, bracing and injections
How we decide what’s right for you
Assessment includes standing X-rays of the whole leg to measure alignment and usually an MRI to look at the cartilage, meniscus and ligaments.
Treatment depends on your age, activity, alignment and the pattern of damage.