Hip replacement surgery is undertaken when the joint surfaces in the hip are worn and the pain from the hip is not manageable by medication. I use two different types of hip implants: Ceramic hips I recommend that a young patient (with an expected lifespan of more than 20 years) have an implant with ceramic on ceramic bearings. These have very low wear rates and have the potential to last a lifetime without the need for revision surgery. Plastic/Metal hips These are used in older patients with lower physical demands and less life expectancy. The component parts are fixed to the bone with acrylic cement. For more information, please click here.

ACL Reconstruction, Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate ligament reconstruction has become a much more refined procedure over the past 30 years. Our operating times (30-50 minutes), hospital stay (12 hours) and recovery time (running in 4-6 weeks, sports by 3-4 months) have all improved with increasing experience., For more information, please click here., Arthroscopic Knee and Cartilage Surgery, Most arthroscopic knee operations are done to trim out a torn cartilage, smooth off worn joint surfaces or remove loose bodies. Most procedures take less than 15-20 minutes and require a general anaesthetic., For more information, please click here., Knee Joint Replacement, A knee joint replacement is a major operation, and it takes several months for the tissues about the knee to heal and remodel, and the body takes time to make a general recovery from surgery., For more information, please click here., Kneecap Surgery, Surgery may be needed to change the angle of pull of the (quadriceps) muscles acting on a kneecap (patella) that is either unstable and recurrently dislocating or for a kneecap which is worn on its outer half due to too much outwardly directed pull by the quads muscles of the thigh., For more information, please click here., Patellofemoral (kneecap) Pain, Pain from the kneecap/thighbone (patellofemoral) joint is one of the most common problems affecting the knee., For more information, please click here., Plastic Spacer Exchange, The long term concern with knee joint replacements is wear of the plastic spacer. If it becomes badly worn (which it will do beyond 12-15 years) the plastic wear particles set up cellular reactions about the implants, resulting in loss of bone support and implant loosening., For more information, please click here., Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction is needed when a knee with a PCL tear keeps giving way during sports and physical activities despite full strengthening and rehabilitation of the muscles about the knee., For more information, please click here., Realignment Tibial Osteotomy, This operation is done for younger patients who have a partially worn out inside (medial) half of the knee., For more information, please click here.

Achilles Tendon Disorders, Most Achilles tendon disorders do not require surgical treatment, however, surgical treatment may be required for certain problems., For more information, please click here., Achilles Tendon Ruptures, This is a relatively common and, surprisingly, painless injury., For more information, please click here., Arthroscopic Ankle Fusion (Arthrodesis), An ankle joint fusion is needed when the ankle joint surfaces are destroyed and the option of an ankle joint replacement is not appropriate - usually this is the case for younger patients. When there is no ankle joint deformity (i.e. the ankle remains well lined up) the joint fusion procedure can be done through a fibreoptic scope without the need to open the joint., For more information, please click here., Arthroscopic Ankle Surgery, Using a fibreoptic viewing arthroscope, a number of ankle conditions can be treated. The ankle is quite a small joint, and therefore is more difficult to work in. However, with adequate experience, arthroscopic ankle surgery is as routine a procedure as knee joint arthroscopy., For more information, please click here., Bunion Surgery, Surgery for bunions often fills people with dread because of the fear of pain. The reason for this is that previous generations have suffered at the hands of orthopaedic surgeons using ill-designed and painful operations. This is now a thing of the past and bunion surgery can now be undertaken with a bare minimum of pain., Fore more information, please click here.

Over the last 30 years a large number of orthopaedic procedures on joints have been performed using an arthroscope, where a fiber optic telescope is used to look inside the joint. Through this type of keyhole surgery, fine instruments can be introduced through small incisions (portals) to allow surgery to be performed without the need for large cuts. This allows many procedures to be performed as a day stay and allows quicker return to normal function of the joint. Arthroscopic surgery is less painful than open surgery and decreases the risk of healing problems. Arthroscopy allows access to parts of the joints which cannot be accessed by other types of surgery. Please click on the link for information about knee surgery.

For elderly patients joint replacement surgery is commonly required to treat damaged joints from wearing out, arthritis or other forms of joint disease including rheumatoid arthritis. In these procedures the damaged joint surface is removed and replaced with artificial surfaces normally made from metal (chromium cobalt alloy, titanium), plastic (high density polyethelene) or ceramic which act as alternate bearing surfaces for the damaged joint. These operations are major procedures which require the patient to be in hospital for several days, followed by a significant period of rehabilitation. The specifics for the procedure will be covered at the time of assessment and booking of surgery. Occasionally blood transfusions are required; if you have some concerns raise this with your surgeon during consultation. Please click on the link for information about hip replacement surgery. Please click on the link for information about knee surgery.

The division of a crooked or bent bone to improve alignment of the limb. These procedures normally involve some form of internal fixation, such as rods or plates, or external fixation which involves external wires and pins to hold the bone. The type of procedure for fixation will be explained when the surgery is planned.

In many cases tendons will be lengthened to improve the muscle balance around a joint or tendons will be transferred to give overall better joint function. This occurs in children with neuromuscular conditions but also applies to a number of other conditions. Most of these procedures involve some sort of splintage after the surgery followed by a period of rehabilitation, normally supervised by a physiotherapist.

Please click on the link for post-surgery advice.