Patient #2 – 42 year old female tennis player with early onset arthritis

About the Patient

The patient was playing tennis when she heard a popping sound in her knee and felt a lot of pain. When she came into the office, she could walk, but she couldn’t straighten her knee or move without a severe limp.

Diagnosis

X-rays and MRI showed that the patient had worn down her cartilage in the medial (inside) compartment of her knee. The pain she was experiencing was from the bone rubbing against the bone. Additional, some of the bone had worn away as well, a condition called osteochondritis dissecans. Her leg showed varus deformity (bow-leggedness) which was making the situation worse.

Treatment

The patient had several surgical procedures to correct the problems.

She had HTO done to correct the varus deformity.

She had a bone graft done to replace the bone that had been worn away.

She had microfracture done in one area that had only a little cartilage loss. In the large medial area where the cartilage was missing, she had ACI performed.

Results

Six months after the surgery, the patient could walk without a cane or crutches.

About a year after the surgery, the patient resumed some exercise. She was able to do walk and do moderate exercise without pain. X-rays showed an increase in space in the medial compartment that indicates the presences of new cartilage.