The use of a continuous passive motion (CPM) machine was initiated around 1982 after total knee replacements (TKA) to promote healing to the tissues, but other benefits found from CPM included increased ROM, decrease pain and the need for analgesics, and decreased rate of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). [6, 12, 21, 22] Ritter et al [20] however, found that the use of the CPM lead to a weaker leg, flexion tightness and extension lag along with increased cost with its use.

Our office meets twice a month for research meetings to discuss various topics that relate to treatment of the knee joint, or other topics that may affect our orthopedic practice of treating knee problems/injuries. Last month we discussed chapter 30 out of the book: BareBones by A. Sarmiento.

Patellofemoral dislocation accounts for fewer than 3% of knee injuries seen by most orthopedic surgeons. Evaluating patellofemoral dislocation and determining whether surgical or non-surgical management is the best treatment for a particular patient is difficult due to anatomical complexity and challenges in determining the cause of the instability.

Delayed ambulation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) decreases pain and swelling and facilitates recovery without increasing complications, according to a Shelbourne Knee Center study.¹

Degenerative meniscus tears are the most common reason for knee arthroscopy, yet whether these tears benefit from surgery is controversial, according to an evidence-based, expert consensus statement on the treatment of degenerative meniscus tear published in Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery (February 2020).¹ K. Donald Shelbourne, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Shelbourne Knee Center, was one of 20 international experts who provided input on the consensus statement.

With more kids playing competitive sports earlier and year-round, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in skeletally immature adolescents are on the rise. “Kids are exposed to the potential for injury at a much higher level than ever before,” says K. Donald Shelbourne, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Shelbourne Knee Center.

Over-treatment of isolated posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears with surgery is becoming increasingly common, due to lack of understanding of the natural history of this rare injury and the belief that surgery prevents joint degeneration.

While many orthopedic surgeons no longer perform bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA), for some patients the procedure is appropriate and beneficial. “Some patients are too anxious or too busy to go through TKA twice. They want to get it over with and move on with their lives,” says Rodney Benner, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Shelbourne Knee Center.