Can a subchondroplasty procedure replace the need for joint replacement surgery?
Dr. James Klosterman discusses whether a subchondroplasty procedure can replace the need for joint replacement surgery. Click play to watch the video or read the transcript.
Can a subchondroplasty procedure replace the need for joint replacement surgery?
A lot of people are asking whether this is going to replace joint replacement surgery, and I just don't think that's going to be the case, because we said earlier, we're looking at joint preservation options to try to keep people's parts in them as long as we can. Now, is this going to be forever or two or three years? I think the jury is still out on that.
There's still 25% of patients who, within a year, have had a knee replacement. So, I don't think it's going to replace it. I think it's going to give people another alternative prior to that, short of just physical therapy, cortisone injections, medications.
Premier Physician Network (PPN) physicians say it’s too early to know whether a subchondroplasty procedure will eventually replace the need for joint replacement surgery.
The procedure can help ease your joint pain to — at the very least — help prolong the time until you need a much more invasive knee replacement surgery.
Talk to your doctor for more information about whether subchondroplasty is able to replace the need for joint replacement surgery.
