When your bones experience continuous wear and tear, they can develop stress fractures or bone marrow edema (also referred to as bone bruises or chronic bone marrow lesions). This is quite common in older adults; specifically women and can cause pain as well as physical limitations.
A new joint preserving procedure called Subchondroplasty, provided by a board certified orthopedic surgeon like Dr. Stacie Grossfeld, may be able to relieve a patient’s pain and restore joint function. Subchondroplasty entails an injection of a hard-setting bone substitute that mimics the chemical structure of an actual human bone. Once injected into the bone, it works to seal up a fracture and over time can even be resorbed and replaced with new bone. Subchondroplasty is a minimally invasive treatment and oftentimes spurs bone growth resulting in a healed bone and reduced pain in the leg, knee or hip.
Are you a Candidate for Subchondroplasty?
If you have suffered from chronic and severe bone pain for at least 3 months and have trouble walking or standing, you could benefit from Subchondroplasty. If other injections, anti-inflammatory or pain medications, knee braces, crutches, physical therapy, and or rest have not worked, Subchondroplasty could be the right treatment. Additionally, patients with cartilage loss and bone deterioration associated with osteoarthritis, as well as those diagnosed with arthritis or osteoporosis are usually good candidates for the procedure.
An MRI is first required to determine if you have bone marrow edema, as spots can be seen in the bone that represent swelling or bone damage. A relatively healthy body weight and or lifestyle changes are suggested for potential patients receiving this treatment in order to prevent reoccurring problems that could require further treatments.
Subchondroplasty is a popular choice for patients who enjoy living an active life and want to avoid a bone replacement. It is an outpatient procedure, usually lasting 20 minutes. While it depends on the patient, most can bear weight immediately after treatment is complete.
If you or someone you know is experiencing pain due to insufficiency fractures or bone marrow edema, contact Dr. Stacie Grossfeld at Orthopaedic Specialists. Dr. Grossfeld has been performing subchondroplasty for about two years and has had excellent results. For more information and to schedule an appointment with Louisville orthopedic Dr. Stacie Grossfeld, call 502-212-2663. You can also visit either of the Orthopaedic Specialists’ locations in Louisville, KY to get more information and schedule an appointment today.
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