Diagnosing meniscal tears in Asheboro NC

Meniscal tears are knee injuries common among athletes as well as non-athletes at almost any age and activity level. This type of injury often happens during sports when a player comes into contact with another player, and it can also occur in older adults whose menisci have weakened over time and with age. Even a motion as simple as twisting the wrong way when getting up from a chair may result in a meniscal tear for an elderly adult.

 

Symptoms of meniscal tear
Meniscal tears are often paired with a “popping” sound, much like ACL sprains and tears, however, many patients are able to continue walking. Over a few days, the knee will become stiff and swollen, and motion become limited. Common symptoms of meniscal tears include pain, swelling, a locking of the knee joint, and the knee “giving way.”

 

Physical exam and imaging tests

Meniscal tears often appear as common knee injuries. Diagnosing meniscal tears involve tests such as the McMurray test, a bending, straightening and rotating of the knee. The distinct “clicking” sound each time the knee moves is a telltale sign of meniscal tears. To rule out the possibility of other knee injuries, sports medicine doctors may order visual tests such as an X-ray or MRI before making a diagnosis.

 

If immediate treatment for meniscal tears is not sought, the meniscus can loosen and float into the joint, causing the knee to slip, pop, or lock. Serious complications brought by this type of injury can be avoided by consulting with sports medicine doctors or orthopedic surgeons at Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Asheboro NC.

Common symptoms of ligament sprains and strains

Our body moves when muscles contract and make joints flex, extend, and rotate. A strain occurs when the muscle tendon is stretched or torn. Overusing and stretching a muscle results in a strain to occur.

 

Ligaments allow our joints to move in specific directions. If a ligament is stretched or torn, the injury is called a sprain.

 

Here are the common symptoms of sprains and strains when you have them:

• Pain is always the first symptom that indicates that there is something wrong with the body. Through pain, the brain is warned that a muscle or joint should be protected from further harm. In work, exercise, or sport, the pain may be felt after a particular incident or it may gradually progress after many repetitions of a motion. 
• Swelling is another symptom of sprain or strain and usually comes with an injury, although it may take some time for it to be noticed. When fibers of a ligament, muscle, or tendon are damaged, bleeding such as bruising on the surface of the skin can occur. 
• The pain and swelling cause the body to protect the injured part. As a result,you may find it difficult to use the injured part of your body. For example, you cannot use your injured leg without limping.

Ligament sprains and strains are injuries that may or may not require surgery. For a complete examination of a ligament injury, orthopedic experts at Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine can make a professional recommendation as well advice for treatment.

Elective joint replacement surgery and mouth infection

Why would you see someone for your teeth when your problem is your joint? This is the question a patient usually asks when his or her orthopedic surgeon recommends seeking consultation with a dentist before elective joint replacement surgery. 

Mouth infection or abnormal number of bacteria in the mouth can cause inflammation. A swollen blood vessel will be more permeable and the bacteria could migrate into the bloodstream and implant itself to other parts of the body. These bacteria can lodge itself in your brand new joint. 

Infection in your newly implanted joint is the most dreaded complication in joint replacement surgery even if done by expert orthopedic doctors. They will have to remove the newly implanted joint just to manage that infection.

Before an elective joint replacement surgery you have to make sure that there are no infections in your mouth or any of your teeth. Your Asheboro NC orthopedic surgeons at the Human Motion Institute at Randolph Hospital may require you to secure this clearance before your surgery to ensure a successful surgery.

Having elective joint replacement surgery is important to eliminate pain and live a comfortable and full life. Seeing your dentist before this particular surgery is just as important. 

Consult with your local Asheboro orthopedic professionals of Human Motion Institute at Randolph Hospital about elective joint replacement surgery and mouth infection.

Orthopedic surgery saves me from knee pain

When I reached my 50's and I started experiencing periodic knee pain, I always attributed it to overwork. I would just simply do some home remedy and after some time I will either forget about the pain or it will gradually subside. This has been going on for quite awhile now but since I can handle it, I never bother to go and see the orthopedic doctor at Randolph Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.

I thought things will stay the same until I'm old and have reached the dreary age of 90. But this is not what luck would have it. I soon realized that the dull uncomfortable feeling I was experiencing has suddenly become a full-blown pain which is progressing rapidly. The daily chores like vacuuming and even standing while washing the dishes become unbearable tasks.

I then decide to go and see my doctor who in turn told me that I have osteoarthritis of the knees. And that I must do something about it soon or the continuous rubbing of my femur on the tibia will render me crippled. This situation, I was told is the effect of the activities we engaged in which have damaged the cartilage lining the knees. I was advised to go and consult an orthopedic surgeon so that I can see the options I have.

The visit was a fruitful one because not only have I found someone who is willing to help me regain the use of my knees but I also met people who are willing to go out of their way to explain to me the whole process I will have to go through. They have also assured me with their usual friendly smile that the surgery will be successful and that I can regain the use of my knees particularly if I will remember to follow the doctor's order to the letter.

It has been months after my operation and I am so glad I followed my doctor's advise to consult someone at Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. You can also experience the success I have been enjoying if you will go and see an orthopedic doctor now.

When can hip revision help me?

Hip revision surgery can help those people who have had their hip replacement surgery but have felt that the hip implant is not working as it should be. Hip revision is also needed by people who after a surgery experienced osteoporosis and the bones cannot handle the implant. Defective or non-functioning hip implant is more of a liability since it will not really help you with hip pain but would rather add more pain in the process.

A hip revision is a must for people who have diseased implant. A new one will not only improve your daily activity but will also ensure that you have a fully functional hip joints without suffering chronic hip pain.

A hip revision surgery is a little bit more complicated than your ordinary hip replacement surgery. The process will also take a bit longer than the previous surgery. The recovery period will also be longer and a bit painful and there are also more risks involved. The possibility of the hip revision surgery encountering some problem is not remote. The success of the surgery largely depends on the ability of the previous surgery scar tissues to work well and not impede the blood flow.

To avoid these complications, you can always go to the orthopedic surgeon who has given you the first surgery. In this case, the surgeon can easily work his way through the scars and the old cement holding the defective implant without causing a lot of trauma to your body.

Find out more about hip revision surgery from your reliable orthopedic surgeon in Asheboro, NC. For sure, he would have the answer to your questions and he can guide you through the preliminaries and preparation for the hip revision surgery.