ACL Surgery DC and Knee Replacement Surgery

Your knee is the joint where the tibia and femur meet.  It is a vulnerable joint and can become damaged due to an injury or normal wear and tear.  When the damage is severe, it may need a surgical treatment such as ACL surgery DC or knee replacement surgery.

Injury can lead to ACL surgery Washington DC

There are four main ligaments in the knee, and the one that is most often injured is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).  Injuries that may need ACL surgery Washington DC usually include a sudden twisting motion or a blow to the knee.  Although it can be a very serious injury, sometimes there is no pain when the injury occurs.  Indications that you have sustained an injury that may require ACL repair surgery DC can include a popping sound and the knee buckling.  Overtime, it may swell and become painful.

ACL surgery DC

A minor injury to the ACL may not need ACL repair surgery Washington DC.  Instead, the injury may heal with time and rest.  If the tear is complete, you may need ACL surgery Washington DC to either repair or replace the ACL.  During ACL replacement surgery Washington DC, a tendon is grafted from another part of your body (usually the hamstring) and is used to replace the damaged ligament.  During ACL repair surgery Washington DC, the damaged ligament is sutured back together and a braided brace is placed alongside the repair to reinforce it.

Knee replacement surgery

The bones of your knee joint have a layer of cartilage to allow them to move smoothly.  If the cartilage wears down, the bones may grind painfully.  The most common causes of knee joint cartilage wearing out are normal wear and tear and osteoarthritis.  The pain may be treated with medicine and by limiting activities, but if that does not provide relief you may need a knee surgery called knee replacement surgery.  During this procedure, the top of the tibia and the bottom if the femur are replaced with artificial parts.  The bottom surface of the knee cap is also replaced.  These artificial parts are made to move smoothly like a natural knee joint.  You can learn more about ACL surgery Washington DC and knee replacement surgery by visiting http://www.medstarwashington.org.

Hip Surgery DC can Provide Relief

Hip replacement surgery Washington DC is a procedure to replace a damaged hip joint with an artificial one.  This hip surgery DC is usually done when the joint is damaged to the point that the pain and limited range of motion interfere with quality of life.

Arthritis can lead to hip surgery Washington DC

The most common condition to damage a hip joint to the point that it needs hip replacement surgery Washington DC is osteoarthritis.  Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that causes the breakdown of joint cartilage.  A healthy hip joint has cartilage that allows the top of the femur to move smoothly in the socket of the pelvis.  When osteoarthrosis damages that cartilage, the bones can grind painfully.

Diagnosing a damaged hip

Your doctor will use imaging tests and a physical exam to diagnose the cause of your hip pain.  Imaging tests such as x-rays can sometimes show damaged bone or cartilage that may need hip replacement surgery Washington DC.  Your doctor may also need to do a diagnostic procedure called arthroscopy.  During this procedure, a tube with a tiny light and camera is inserted into the joint so your doctor can see inside the joint.

Treatment before hip surgery Washington DC

If your doctor finds that your hip joint is damaged, the treatment will depend on the extent of the damage and the cause of the damage as well as your age and overall health.  Before hip replacement surgery Washington DC, your doctor may recommend trying medicine to reduce pain and inflammation and assistive devices such as a walker or a cane.

Hip surgery DC

If nonsurgical treatments do not provide relief, your doctor may recommend either total hip replacement Washington DC or hip resurfacing.  During hip replacement surgery DC, the top part of the femur is removed and replaced with a ball on a stem that is driven into the femur.  The damaged part of the socket is also removed and replaced with a cup.  During resurfacing hip surgery Washington DC, the damaged part of the socket is still replaced but the head of the femur is not removed.  Instead, it is trimmed and capped, leaving more natural bone intact.  Which hip surgery Washington DC is right for you will depend on your age, overall health, and activity level.

IBD Washington DC Diagnosis

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a group of diseases that affect the lining of your digestive system.  Symptoms of different IBDs DC can look similar, so diagnosing a specific IBD Washington DC often includes tests such as a colonoscopy, a fecal occult blood test, or an upper endoscopy.

Colonoscopy can diagnose IBD Washington DC

A colonoscopy is a diagnostic test that allows your doctor to check the inside of your large intestine for signs of an inflammatory bowel disease Washington DC.  During the procedure, your doctor inserts a long flexible tube with a light and a camera on it into your colon. The camera sends the picture to a screen, so your doctor can see inside your large intestine.  Signs of an inflammatory bowel disease DC will usually appear on the walls of the intestine, so you will be put on a clear liquid diet before the procedure so the walls will be clean and easily visible. IBD DC signs that your doctor will be looking for include bleeding, sores, and inflammation.

Fecal occult blood test

Inflammatory bowel diseases Washington DC often cause blood in the stool.  Sometimes, this can be seen with the naked eye, but sometimes a test called a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) is necessary.  A FOBT can help diagnose an IBD DC by using chemicals to check for small amounts of blood in the stool. A FOBT requires more than one sample (ideally three consecutive bowel movements), so you will be given a test kit to use at home.  The samples you collect will then be sent to a lab for examination. A positive result on a FOBT does not necessarily mean that you have an inflammatory bowel disease DC, and is usually just an indication that further testing (such as a colonoscopy) is needed.

Upper endoscopy for inflammatory bowel disease DC

Some inflammatory bowel diseases DC only affect the lower GI tract, but some can affect the upper part as well.  A procedure called an upper endoscopy can check for signs of an inflammatory bowel disease in your esophagus and stomach.  During this procedure, an endoscope with a light and a camera is inserted through your mouth to check the inside of the upper part of your GI tract.  You can learn more about diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease DC by visiting www.medstarwashington.org.