Say Goodbye to Knee Pain

Going beyond quick fixes, a leading orthopedic surgeon shows you how to stop damaging and start saving your knees, the body's hardest-working and most complex joint. Once you understand the source of your pain, whether from sports or overuse injuries, osteoarthritis, tendinitis, heredity, or a host of other causes -- then you can choose the best up-to-the-minute treatments that are right for you. You'll learn everything you need to know about:

.Getting the right diagnosis

.Differences between men's and women's knees

.Treating the athlete's knee

.Simple exercises to reduce pain

.Medication

.Physical therapy

.Complementary and alternative remedies

.Arthroscopy and other surgical options

.Knee replacement ...and much more. You'll also find everyday wisdom for protecting your knees from wear and tear, and practical advice on lifestyle changes that can turn back the clock on your knee pain.

Marian Betancourt and Jo Hannafin, M.D.

Introduction PART I The Basics: How Your Knees Work and Why They Hurt Chapter 1 Anatomy of the Knee: The Body's Complex Joint The Patella: Kneecap Ligaments: The Four Stabilizers Tendons: The Connection from Muscle to Bone Articular and Meniscal Cartilage: The Shock Absorbers Synovium: The Source of Lubricant Bursae: The Gliders Other Knee Anatomy to Know About Key Points Chapter 2 Common Risk Factors for Knee Pain Being Overweight Previous Injury Overuse Lack of Muscle Flexibility or Strength Key Points Chapter 3 The Differences in Men's and Women's Knees The Female Athlete's Achilles Heel Is Actually the Knee Venus and Mars through the Ages Replacing His and Hers Key Points Chapter 4 Knee Pain in Childhood and Adolescence Osgood-Schlatter Disease Patellar Subluxation and Dislocation Patellofemoral Pain and Chondromalacia of the Patella Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) Iliotibial Band (ITB) Syndrome Discoid Meniscus Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) Psoriatic Arthritis Septic Arthritis Lyme Disease Blount's Disease Bone Cancer Key Points Chapter 5 Knee Pain in Adults Young Adults (Ages Eighteen to Forty) Traumatic Ligament Injuries Meniscus Injuries Iliotibial Band (ITB) Syndrome Patellofemoral Pain and Chondromalacia of the Patella Quadriceps and Patellar Tendinitis Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis (PVNS) Rheumatoid Arthritis Psoriatic Arthritis Middle Age (Ages Forty to Sixty) Tendon Injuries Gout Degenerative Meniscus Tears Mature Adults (Ages Sixty and Over) Osteoarthritis Pseudogout Bone Cancer Key Points Chapter 6 Finding the Doctor Who's Right for You Physicians Who Treat Knee Pain Finding an Orthopedist Paying for the Best Treatment Interviewing Potential Doctors Key Points Chapter 7 Getting the Right Diagnosis The Importance of Your Story The Initial Physical Examination What to Know about Diagnostic Tests Key Points PART II Treating the Causes of Acute and Chronic Knee Pain Chapter 8 Treating Acute Knee Pain from Traumatic Injuries Ligament Injuries Tendon Injuries Meniscus Injuries Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) Patellar Subluxation and Dislocation Patella Fracture Key Points Chapter 9 Treating Chronic Knee Pain from Overuse Injuries Bursitis Tendinitis Iliotibial Band (ITB) Syndrome Patellofemoral Pain and Chondromalacia of the Patella Osgood-Schlatter Disease Key Points Chapter 10 Treating Chronic Knee Pain from Arthritis and Other Inflammatory Conditions Osteoarthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) Septic Arthritis Psoriatic Arthritis Gout Pseudogout Ten Ways to Keep Your Arthritic Knees as Pain Free as Possible Key Points Chapter 11 Treating Chronic Knee Pain from Other Medical Conditions Lyme Disease Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis (PVNS) Blount's Disease Bone Cancer Key Points PART III Types of Treatment for Knee Pain Chapter 12 Conservative Treatment RICE: First Aid for Knees Protection: Brace Yourself Key Points Chapter 13 Physical Therapy Meeting Your Physical Therapist Your Role in Your Physical Therapy Aids to Physical Therapy Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Paying for Physical Therapy Key Points Chapter 14 Treating Knee Pain with Medication: Balancing Benefits with Side Effects Timing and Method of Delivery Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Nutritional Supplements Topical Pain Relievers Viscosupplementation Corticosteroids Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) and Biologic Response Modifiers (Biologics) Safe Use of Narcotic Pain Medications Key Points Chapter 15 Treating Knee Pain with Arthroscopic and Open Surgery What to Ask Your Doctor before Knee Surgery Getting Ready for Surgery Meniscus Surgery Articular Cartilage Surgery Synovium Surgery Ligament Reconstruction Surgery Repairing Ruptured Patella and Quadriceps Tendons Osteotomy Patellofemoral Surgery Surgery for Intra-articular Fractures Bone Cancer Surgery What to Expect after Knee Surgery Key Points Chapter 16 Knee Replacement Surgery What Prostheses Are Made of and How They Stay Put Total Knee Replacement Partial Knee Replacement Bilateral Knee ReplacementvIs Knee Replacement Right for You? Getting Ready for Knee Replacement The Surgery Possible Complications of Knee Replacement Surgery Rehabilitation after Knee Replacement Surgery Key Points Chapter 17 Complementary and Alternative Therapy Acupuncture Massage Mind-Body Therapies Pilates Tai Chi Key Points PART IV Prevention Chapter 18 Physical Conditioning to Help Your Knees Knee-friendly Aerobic Exercises for Endurance and Stamina Stretching to Improve Flexibility Strength Training Best Fitness Equipment for Knees The Sports Most and Least Likely to Hurt Your Knees Conditioning for Your Sport Beat the Barriers to Exercise Eat Well and Reduce Stress Key Points Chapter 19 Twenty Ways to Be Good to Your Knees Glossary Appendix: Information Resources Index