Knee Doctor
At University Orthopaedic Surgeons, we are committed to providing the knee care patients need to excel. We proudly serve our communities in Knoxville, Sevierville, and the surrounding areas with specialized and compassionate care from our highly trained and skilled doctors, surgeons, and staff.
Any kind of joint pain, even when it's relatively minor, can be a major impediment to a patient's daily activities. That's certainly true of the knee. Any level of pain, swelling, or discomfort in your knee can limit your mobility and make it extremely difficult to carry out simple tasks at home or around the office. However, there are a wide variety of treatment options available for those living with knee pain, ranging from simple ice or heat therapy and injections to total knee replacement surgery.
Doctors who specialize in providing knee care have completed extensive training in orthopaedics, specifically sports medicine or joint replacement, and can treat a variety of different knee injuries and conditions, whether it's acute, like an ACL injury, or a chronic condition, such as arthritis. There are many common injuries and conditions that our knee specialists treat, such as:
- Arthritis
- Broken kneecap or bone
- Damaged cartilage
- Dislocated knee
- Osgood-Schlatter disease
- Ruptured tendons
- Sports-related injuries
- Sprained or torn ligaments
- Tear in the ACL
- Torn meniscus
When you have an appointment with a specialty-trained knee doctor or surgeon, the first thing you should expect is a thorough physical examination, which will most likely include imaging scans. Your doctor may recommend a knee arthroscopy, a procedure in which he or she can look inside the joint with the help of a small camera, or arthroscope, to determine the cause of your knee pain.
In some cases, a nonsurgical treatment option will be recommended. This may involve an injection, exercise, stretching, or working with a physical therapist, especially if the injury is sports-related. Our knee doctors will always exhaust all conservative treatment options before surgery is recommended.
While nonsurgical options are always ideal, there may be some instances in which surgery is required. There are many different kinds of knee surgery, including total knee replacement, partial knee replacement, and ACL reconstruction surgery, and your doctor will speak with you regarding the best treatment option for you.
For chronic conditions, such as osteoarthritis of the knee, total knee replacement is sometimes the best solution for patients meeting certain criteria. Removing damaged soft tissue and bone and replacing the joint with artificial components can provide many patients with restored function, reduced pain, and a higher quality of life.
Learn More About Knee Replacement
Visiting a medical doctor is recommended if your knee symptoms meet any of these criteria:
- There is numbness or a lack of physical sensation in your knee
- You are unable to bear weight on your knee
- You feel a grinding or bone-on-bone sensation
- You have difficulty walking or are walking with a limp
- You hear a popping sound, followed by severe pain
- Your knee is unstable or wobbly
- Your knee pain does not respond to self-care after a week
- Your pain impedes your daily activities or keeps you from getting enough sleep
Our knee doctors understand that pain can keep you from living life to the fullest. To schedule an appointment with one of our knee specialists, call (865) 546-2663 for our UT Research Park and Sevierville offices, (865) 218-9300 for our West Knoxville office, or request an appointment online.
Exceptional Care at University Orthopaedic Surgeons
Our years of experience and advanced training devoted to the care of orthopaedic issues, including those of the knee, make us who we are, but our compassionate care of our patients is what makes us dedicated to you. Our knee specialists at University Orthopaedic Surgeons, Dr. Brian Edkin, Dr. Michael Kern, Dr. Benjamin Kopp, Dr. Michael McCollum, Dr. Philip McDowell, Dr. Brian Tonne, and Dr. Kostas Triantafillou, are unparalleled experts in accurately diagnosing and effectively treating knee injuries and conditions in a broad range of patients, and they continuously strive to exceed our patients' expectations in the delivery of care.
To consult with a University Orthopaedic Surgeons knee surgeon, please request an appointment online or call (865) 546-2663 for our UT Research Park and Sevierville offices or (865) 218-9300 for our West Knoxville office.
