As the saying goes, the knee joint is like a workhorse. It has worked silently for decades and has worked hard. It is often the most vulnerable. Many people reach retirement age, and their knees become more and more disappointing. Apart from pain, they often deform, especially their mobility is limited. So, is there any way to make the sick knees of the elderly move flexibly again? Please look at this [Mr. Wang Lao’s Medical Record]. I believe you will understand after reading it.
There is a Mr. Wang Lao, This year in his 70s, After a lifetime of mechanical research, He has contributed his youth to the country. Should have enjoyed his old age, However, in recent years, knee pain has been unbearable, It adds endless troubles to life. Children want to be filial, He took his old father on a tour, but he did not dare to travel far away. The old man came to see me and became acquaintances in the long run. When he first visited my clinic, he clearly diagnosed that when he first came to my clinic, he looked hale and hearty, but he was leaning on crutches, limping slightly and had some bowlegs. He was very happy to see me, but he could not hide his sad face. [Old man, why are you not good? I asked. [Doctor Weng, at last I have met you! The old man looked a little excited. [My knee hurt for seven or eight years, and I forgave it at first, but in the past year or two it gradually hurt so much that I couldn’t go anywhere.] [Can my legs be straightened and bent back? As I asked, It was found that his knee joint motion ranged from 5 to 90 degrees. It is much less than 0 to 150 degrees for normal people. In addition, The old man was already a little bowlegged, It also hurts when the joint space is pressed. The old man cooperated with my examination. It hurts a lot when I go up and down the stairs, I dare not go far.] [No, The joint has deformed.] I’ll have him take an X-ray of the knee first, The diagnosis was further clarified. Half an hour later, the film came out. I carefully examined the film and said to him, “This disease is called osteoarthritis.” [Osteoarthritis…] The old man pondered. Explaining the disease, degenerative change saw that he was confused, and I explained to him: “Normal knee joint has a thin layer of cartilage, which is equivalent to a protective gasket. Is what cartilage? When we usually eat chickens and ducks, Cartilage can’t be seen on the X-ray, So what you see between the joints is the gap. But you see, Your medial joint space is almost gone, indicating that the cartilage has worn quite badly.] Hearing this, he nodded. I went on to say, “Without the protection of cartilage, the bones grind bones when walking, and the periosteum is rich in nerves and blood vessels, so it is very painful. In the long run, the knee joint will grow bone spurs and even deform.” [Why do I get this disease? The old man was born in engineering, I want to find out. [This is a degenerative disease, In other words, it is the manifestation of human aging. In recent years, researchers have conducted a lot of research, but unfortunately they have not yet found the exact reason. To be sure, obesity, heavy physical activity and excessive exercise will increase the burden on the knee joint and increase the risk of illness.] Surgical treatment is better as soon as possible [Dr. Weng, how should this disease be treated? Mr. Wang asked eagerly. [Early osteoarthritis, Cartilage has some degree of wear and tear, Conservative treatment, It mainly takes medicine, injections, plasters, physical therapy, etc. The aim is to relieve pain, protect cartilage and delay the development of the disease.] I replied, [Bones can be regenerated, Even at the age of 90, he can grow again. But once the cartilage is worn away, it cannot regenerate. Your osteoarthritis has reached the middle and late stage, and conservative treatment is difficult to work. If you want to completely cure, you can only do surgery.] The old man seems to lack mental preparation. When he heard that surgery was needed, his face was embarrassed. He thought for a moment and then asked: “What kind of surgery is it?” ] [We cut off the broken cartilage thin and replaced it with artificial “alloy cartilage”. In the middle of the joint, we added a wear-resistant gasket to make the knee joint as flexible and free as a normal person. After two or three days of surgery, we can go to the ground. After two or three months of rehabilitation training, we are basically the same as a normal person.] [How many years can the newly replaced cartilage be used? He went on to ask. [As long as it is not broken or infected, it will take about 20 years. According to literature reports, some can take as long as 30 to 40 years.] [what’s age is the most suitable for this operation? [At present, due to the limitation of the service life of artificial components, young people do not choose this kind of surgery unless they have to. However, for the elderly suffering from middle and late osteoarthritis, the sooner the better.] [Why is the sooner the better for this part of the elderly? The old man is a little puzzled. [First of all, The quality of life of the elderly with severe osteoarthritis is quite low. Suffering from illness for many years, Taking medicine and injections did not work, Only the sooner the operation is performed, Only in this way can we be freed and enjoyed early.] He nodded repeatedly after hearing this. I went on, [On the other hand, If we keep on procrastinating, Once the heart and lung function of the elderly is not good, The risk of surgery will be greatly increased, At that time, even if you want to do it, I’m afraid you won’t be able to do it.] [Dr. Weng, thank you very much.] He said, [I’ll go home and discuss it with my children.] [OK, you’re welcome.] Return to the clinic again. A week after the operation, a pair of Mr. Wang’s children accompanied him to return to the clinic. Before the old man could speak, his son said first: “Dr. Weng, my father’s knee joint is really painful! It is not a way to drag on all the time. We decided to do this operation. We also want to ask, is the operation risky? [As long as the surgical technique is up to standard, No infection after operation, The success rate of the operation is very high.] I replied. Soon after, Mr. Wang was hospitalized for a week, The care of children is meticulous, A piece of filial piety moved me. The operation went smoothly and was reviewed regularly after the operation. Recovery after the operation, happiness in his old age, time flies like an arrow. One day after the outpatient service, a brisk figure [ceng] came to me with a loud voice. Looking intently, it was none other than Mr. Wang Lao, an engineer. [Doctor Weng, my daughter has just brought me back from a trip abroad. I came to see you! He smiled brightly, lost the sad face of a year ago, and became younger. [How are you feeling these days? I asked him with a smile. [Look! ] Without saying a word, he had already walked back and forth in a brisk pace in the clinic. How was the operation? Don’t ask, it’s all written in a heartfelt smile.