Adult Orthopaedic conditons treated by Dr Lynette Reece include knee replacement, hip replacement, hip and knee revision procedures, knee arthroscopy, carpal tunnel, sporting injuries and some shoulder operations.
Dr Reece performs these procedures at Maitland Private Hospital. Surgical procedures may be covered by private health insurance, Workers Compensation, Veterans Affairs, Defence personnel, or self-funded.
Knee Conditions & Treatment Options
Orthopaedic conditions of the knee may result from genetics, degeneration or injury. They can be relatively simple such as bruising and inflammation, or complete failure of structures of the knee.
The treatment of the conditions also vary greatly. Many injuries may only require rest or massage or in some cases a physiotherapy program. When the injury involves parts of the knee that have become damaged or failed completely, the only effective way to alleviate the pain and restore function may be surgical intervention.
An Orthopaedic surgeon may be required to perform procedures from Arthroscopy, Knee Ligament repair/reconstruction or even Total Knee Replacement.
Knee Arthroscopy
A Knee Arthroscopy involves making small incisions in the knee to enable a small video tube (arthroscope) inside the knee joint to examine the structures of the knee. If repairable damage is found, this can be assessed and in some cases remediated during the same procedure.
Knee Replacement
Over time the surfaces of the knee joint can wear and the joint may become painful and may inhibit a person from performing regular tasks . If this pain becomes increasingly difficult to live with, knee replacement surgery may be required. This involves removing some bone and inserting metal components and polyethylene/plastic to replace the damaged surfaces and improve the function of the knee. In most cases, after a period of recovery and rehabilitation, this enables the patient to return to their normal activities.
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Hip Conditions & Surgical Treatment
Hip Fractures
Hip fractures usually occur in older people as their muscle tone deteriorates and they are more prone to falling and injuries.
A fracture of the hip is a fracture at the top of the femur and can require an operation to insert a metal plate with screws to hold the bone together.
In some cases, where degenerative changes do not allow for this approach, or when the joint is painful due to other conditions, a hip replacement may be required.
Hip Replacement
A total hip replacement involves removing the top section of the femur and replacing it with a metal prosthesis. At the same time a metal cup is inserted with a polyethylene/plastic liner into the wall of the pelvis (acetabulum), for the new metal head to be positioned in.
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