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Knee Pain

Silicon Valley Orthopaedics

Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeons located in Fremont, CA, Los Gatos, CA & Menlo Park, CA

Knee injuries and degenerative or overuse conditions often cause painful knees. If knee pain impacts your mobility, Nic Gay, MD, Masi Reynolds, MD, George Thabit III, MD and their team at Silicon Valley Orthopaedics in Fremont, Los Gatos, Menlo Park, and Foster City, California, can help. They provide expert onsite diagnostics and the most advanced treatments for knee pain. To arrange an appointment, call Silicon Valley Orthopaedics today or use the online booking form.

Knee Pain Q & A

What causes knee pain?

Knee pain is often due to sports injuries, especially when jumping, turning, and stopping suddenly. Falls and twists of the joint can also happen at home or work.

Overusing the joints can lead to knee pain, and joint degeneration is a common cause of painful knees. Some of the injuries and diseases responsible for knee pain include:

  • Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
  • Medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Meniscus tears
  • Articular cartilage injuries 
  • Patellar (kneecap) instability
  • Patellar dislocation
  • Bursitis
  • Knee dislocation
  • Iliotibial (IT) band injury
  • Patellofemoral pain syndrome
  • Runner's knee (chondromalacia patella)
  • Osgood Schlatter disease
  • Osteochondritis dissecans
  • Osteonecrosis of the knee

To obtain the most effective treatment for your knee pain, it's important to visit Silicon Valley Orthopaedics for a prompt and correct diagnosis.

How is knee pain diagnosed?

Your provider at Silicon Valley Orthopaedics starts the diagnostic process by checking your medical and family history and your current health. They examine your knee thoroughly and ask about your knee pain, what triggered it, and what movements are most painful or difficult.

Diagnostic imaging tests such as digital X-rays, an MRI, or a CT scan can help confirm an initial diagnosis and assess the nature of the damage to your knee joint. If your provider needs to see the inside of your knee in more detail, they might perform knee arthroscopy.

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive technique where your provider uses a tiny camera on a slim, flexible tube to see the interior of your knee joint. Depending on the cause of your knee pain, your provider might also be able to treat the problem at the same time.

What knee treatments might I require?

The Silicon Valley Orthopaedics team generally approaches the resolution of knee pain conservatively. Possible methods include:

  • Rest and activity modification
  • Hot and cold treatments
  • Physical therapy
  • Anti-inflammatory medication
  • Orthotics
  • A knee brace
  • Hyaluronic acid injections
  • Steroid injections
  • Joint fluid aspiration

For most causes of knee pain, these treatments are an effective solution. However, in some instances, surgery might be necessary.

What kind of surgery would I need for knee pain?

The type of surgical intervention you require for knee pain depends on the nature of the damage, its severity, and factors like your age and activity levels.

Possibilities include:

  • Arthroscopic repairs
  • Ligament surgeries such as ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction
  • Meniscus transplant
  • Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI)
  • Osteochondral autograft transplantation surgery (OATS)
  • Partial or total knee replacement

The Silicon Valley Orthopaedics team uses ROSA® (robotic surgical assistant) technology to perform knee replacement surgery.

To find the cause of your knee pain and the expert treatment you need for optimal recovery, call Silicon Valley Orthopaedics today or book an appointment online.