Baker’s cysts are notorious for causing confusion, distress, and uncertainty. Unfortunately, those feelings can be the doctor’s sometimes, not the patient. But the problem is easily identifiable and can be taken care of with the right treatment. They are extremely common and most commonly cause swelling and tightness in the back of the knee. They usually do not cause pain which is more commonly associated with either arthritis or a...

No one ever thinks about their quadriceps tendon or patella tendon until they have injured them. They are integral to human functioning for walking, climbing, standing up from a chair or the ground, and running. As an  orthopedic surgeon, I am privileged to see what unfortunately can happen to someone who tears their tendon. It makes me appreciate the human body so much more when I see the disability of this injury. A quadriceps or patella...

Arthritis is the loss of cushion on a joint surface-period. The cushion called articular cartilage is an amazing multi faceted structure that allows us to walk, run, jump, and lift without pain. Deep to the cushion is bone. If bone is exposed then this causes pain as there are nerve endings in the bone. When bone rubs against bone the joint becomes painful, swollen and stiff. There is no cure for arthritis and treatment is directed towards pain...

The ACL or anterior cruciate ligament is the most important ligament in the knee. When it is completely torn, it can lead to instability or buckling of the knee. Why is it so important? What makes it unique? Why doesn’t it heal? Why do surgeons recommend getting it fixed? Is it necessary to get it fixed if I CrossFit®? Are there things I should avoid in CrossFit and life if I don’t get it fixed? All good questions but let’s check out its...

Having done your annual Memorial Day Murph, you might have woken up the next day with sore knees and returned to the daily grind behind a desk. Everything feels fine…until you stand up. Come to think of it, every time you extend your leg it hurts and stairs are no joke. You may be experiencing patellofemoral pain. Your knee joint is made up of the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone), but a lesser known joint that can become problematic is...

Meniscus is another word for the cartilage in the knee that acts as a shock absorber. You have two of them medial and lateral or inner and outer.  They are both C-shaped structures that are made of fibrocartilage. The meniscus is located between the femur and the tibia or thigh and leg bone. It actually serves many functions in the knee other than shock absorber. It acts as a stabilizer preventing the lower leg from sliding forward on the...