Type of knee replacement - advice sought

Hi A.B.

i had minimally invasive total knee replacement in St. Helena California at the Coon Institute. Dr. Diana was awesome and the difference is that they do not cut the main tendon/muscle that runs from the thigh to the calf in the front of the leg. With this not being cut the recovery is less and there is less to heal. They manage to work around it. I had a long recovery because I also have other health issues that impair my healing. Anti phospholipid syndrome and Stage 4 cirhossis. But I did not too bad and it is now a year and I would not have anything but the minimally invasive done.

What I had heard about was a procedure where a type of cartilage is inserted between the joint. My doctor had a scan done on me that examined the bone marrow. Unfortunately I was not a candidate for this, which was disappointing since I was told it only required three days off work. It was explained that it was an alternative to TKR. I don't know if this is what you are referencing though.

AsI understand it, it is done from the side instead of over the top of the knee.  i don't think many surgeons are using the system yet . . it obviously involves a learning curve, and most are sticking with the tired and tested system.  You would probably need to find a different surgeon who did the minimally invasive op instead of the traditional one.  if your surgeon didn't mention it, I imagine he doesn't do it.  As far as i have seen from internet articles, it is still rather innovative, but I must say I do like the idea of less damage to tendons and nerves which it involves. Eight months on, i still hae quite bad nerve problemsin the thigh . . due I think to the tourniquet.  Not sure if the minimally invasive system would have made any difference to this though . . but certainly muscles would not have been so hard to recover.