Knee Injuries & Treatments

The overall concept that fuels this practice’s approach to knee problems is to save knees biologically. In patients with focal cartilage and osteochondral injuries, initial treatments are geared toward using the patient’s own healing capacity to repair the damage. These are minimally invasive techniques. When these techniques do not provide desired functional results, we utilize cutting edge techniques of cartilage transplantation, often referred to as Autologous Cartilage Transplantation, Allograft Transplantation, and Denovo Transplantation. These are referred to in our practice as being part of the Cartilage Restoration Center of New Jersey. Also included here is meniscal transplantation when there has been excessive meniscal loss.

Dr. Levy has active research going on throughout Europe using natural, coralline-based implants to repair damaged cartilage. Dr. Levy is an active member of numerous orthopedic specialty societies and has extensive experience repairing and replacing ligaments of the knee. He has also pioneered concepts of fixation and rehabilitation. Patellofemoral problems often fall into both the ligament repair and cartilage worlds.

When a patient has a diagnosis of early arthritis, they are often told there are few options other than total knee replacement. The center for advanced sports medicine disagrees. In many cases, treatment of the supporting bone with calcium phosphate (subchondroplasty) can relieve pain with minimal risk. Dr. Levy has helped pioneer these techniques and has one of the largest series in North America. In many cases, these procedures are arthroscopically assisted to remove debris and are followed by joint lubrication in the office 4 weeks post surgery.

We are also active believers in osteotomy, where the weight is shifted from a damaged part of the joint to a good part of joint in order to slow or stop the arthritic progression. Furthermore, we believe that if metal and plastic are to be the best surgical solutions to a problem, then it makes sense to try to keep as much of your own joint as possible. Thus, we recommend minimally invasive partial knee replacements if the joint can handle it.