Posted 8/05/2004 05:11:00 PM by Douglas

Good news for those in need of a knee replacement:

Washington's orthopedic surgeon was Dr. Lin Jones, who has performed a new, less painful, faster-healing knee-replacement procedure on about 100 patients since he introduced the technique in March at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.

"Any patient who is strong beforehand will do well," Jones said. "They can't be obese or have a severe deformity as a result of arthritis. Otherwise, we can shorten their recovery time significantly."

Most candidates for knee replacement are between 60 and 80 — a growing portion of the population — so the procedure is expected to increase in frequency. The most common reason for degeneration in the knee joint is osteoarthritis, sometimes known as wear-and-tear arthritis. It can occur without previous injury to the joint, when the cartilage on the surface of the bone wears away. When that happens, bone rubs painfully on bone.

Ouch.