Knee Care

The knee is the largest joint in our bodies and the one most likely to be injured. It’s a complex joint made of four bones: the femur, the tibia, the fibula and the patella, or the kneecap. This series of bones, and the ligaments and tendons that support them, allow us to bend and straighten the leg with power. The knee joint is also able to rotate slightly. The knee bears our body weight and helps manage impact from activities like running, jumping, and climbing stairs or hills.

Diagnosing and treating knee pain

A number of conditions or injuries can cause pain in the knees. The first step in diagnosing your pain is to see one of our specialists. Your initial appointment will usually be with one of our orthopedic surgeons or sports medicine doctors. The doctor will complete a full evaluation of your symptoms and recent activities. Imaging tests such as X-rays, MRI or CT scans may be necessary.

Finding the reason for your pain will help determine your treatment, as well as which providers will be part of your care team. Common knee problems include:

Knee replacement and other surgical treatment options

If your treatment plan includes surgery, MultiCare orthopedic surgeons will collaborate with you to pursue the option that best meets your goals and brings long-term relief. Whenever possible, our surgeons use minimally invasive techniques, which involve making a small incision instead of a large incision at the surgery site.

Minimally invasive surgery offers many benefits for patients, including shorter hospital stays, faster recovery times and reduced risk of complications. Our orthopedic surgeons may use minimally invasive approaches for:

• ACL reconstruction
• Meniscus repair
• Meniscus transplants or meniscectomy (trimming a portion of meniscus)
• Partial joint replacement to treat some types of arthritis in the knee

In some cases, knee replacement surgery may be the best option to treat your pain. The knee is the largest joint in the body, and it’s used constantly, bearing our full weight. This is one of the reasons it ages faster than other joints, with arthritis affecting it more than any other ailment.

During knee replacement surgery, the joint is partially or totally replaced — depending on the damage that exists — with artificial components. Replacement components are typically made of ceramic, plastic or metal, and function exactly as your normal joints. Learn more about joint replacement at MultiCare.

MultiCare is proud to offer a number of knee replacement options, including total knee replacement using ROSA^® Knee robotic technology. ROSA^® Knee is offered at MultiCare Allenmore Hospital and MultiCare Auburn Medical Center.

Benefits of ROSA^® Knee include:

• Greater precision and accuracy than traditional surgery
• Custom fit of your knee implant
• Improved balance and comfort after recovery

MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital is the first hospital in the PNW to offer knee replacement with the Arvis technology. ARVIS is a surgical guidance technology for joint replacement that uses augmented reality to provide your surgeon real-time information.

Benefits of ARVIS include:

• Greater precision and accuracy than traditional surgery
• Custom fit of your knee implant
• Improved comfort after surgery with potentially shorter recovery time