Knee Procedures

Knee arthroscopy is a common surgical procedure performed using an arthroscope, a viewing instrument, to diagnose or treat a knee problem. It is a relatively safe procedure and you will usually be discharged from the hospital on the same day of surgery.

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction is a commonly performed surgical procedure. Instead of repairing the ACL, the ligament is replaced with a tissue graft. There are several options to use for a graft but Dr. Pace tends to recommend using a portion of the quadriceps tendon.

The medial patellofemoral ligament is a band of tissue that extends from the femoral medial epicondyle to the medial aspect of the patella. It helps stabilize the patella and can become stretched out and incompetent in the setting of patellar instability.

The trochleoplasty procedure is a reshaping of an abnormal trochlea.  Ideally, the trochlea is shaped like a “V” or a “U” but for many people with patellar instability the trochlea is flat or is convex like and upside down “V” or “U”.

Patella stabilization, also known as patella realignment, is a surgical technique used to stabilize recurrent patellar (knee cap) instability. Patellar instability is a condition characterized by damage to the supporting ligaments that may cause the patella to slip out of its groove either partially (subluxation), or completely (dislocation).

Meniscal surgery is a surgical procedure employed for the treatment of torn or damaged meniscal tissues in the knee. It is mostly performed as a minimally invasive arthroscopic procedure.

Meniscus transplantation uses a meniscus from a cadaver donor and is performed arthroscopically on an outpatient basis. Sometimes there is cartilage damage or malalignment of the legs that needs to be corrected at the same time.

Surgery to repair lost or damaged cartilage remains a “final frontier” in sports medicine surgery.  However, due to extensive research and improved technology, significant surgical advancements have been made that have made a very positive impact on people’s lives.

An osteotomy is a surgical procedure that involves cutting of bone. The distal femur is part of the femur (thighbone) just above the knee joint.

High tibial osteotomy is a surgical procedure performed to realign an abnormally aligned tibia. This is typically for someone with a “bow leg” alignment, also called genu varum.

The term “multiligamentous knee injury” refers to the sitation when more than one of the major knee ligaments or ligament complexes has been damaged.  This represents a significant insult to the knee that often requires surgical intervention.

PCL reconstruction surgery is a procedure to replace a torn posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in the knee.

LCL reconstruction is a surgical procedure to repair a torn or damaged lateral collateral ligament in the knee using a tissue graft typically taken from a donor.

MCL reconstruction is a surgical procedure in which a tendon graft is utilized to reconstruct the injured MCL.