VitalityHouse Health Articles

Adolescent and adult female athletes have a 4-8 times greater incidence of serious non-contact knee ligament injury than male athletes participating in the same sport. There has been a great deal of speculation and research to try and find out why this is so, with researchers describing in adolescent and adult populations gender differences in neuromuscular indices, such as muscle strength, running, cutting sidestepping, and landing characteristics that are believed to play some role in the gender difference.

Arthrofibrosis is a problem in which abnormal scar tissue forms within the knee. It usually occurs in post-traumatic and post-surgical settings and can manifest itself in many different ways. The severity can range from small amounts of scar tissue in certain locations within the knee that may only cause symptoms with certain activities to diffuse scarring that is chronically painful and completely restricts all motion of the knee. Arthrofibrosis usually restricts knee motion and causes pain, and it invariably poses a very difficult clinical problem to treat. Early recognition and appropriate treatment can be expected to restore motion and improve function in the majority of individuals who develop this problem. Whenever possible, it is important to identify the specific cause and target the treatment accordingly.

Tissue engineering will greatly expand our ability to restore damaged knees, and other joints: and research in these areas shows great promise. For now, however, this case exhibits the cutting edge of knee restoration technology as it exists today and illustrates how far we have advanced even in the last few years. Indeed the chief purpose in writing this article is to disseminate information as to what is available in this fast moving field in which we can now restore more than most patients, and even physicians, currently realize.

Are you contemplating a knee replacement and want to know the raw facts? Like ‘what are the chances of actually dying from this procedure?’.

Is Acupuncture beneficial for knee pain? An overwhelming amount of research has been done to support the efficacy of acupuncture in general and for knee pain in specific.  In my own clinical practice I have had many positive responses in patients with knee pain of many different causes.