For Immediate Release: Friday, March 14, 1997

Rosemont, Ill. - The knee is the largest joint in your body. It is a complex, hinge-like joint that is subject to constant pounding, bending, twisting from everyday activities as well as the impact of falls and the effects of arthritis.

Almost 5 million people visit offices of orthopaedic surgeons each year because of knee problems. More than 3 million of the visits are injury-related; the remaining are due to arthritis and other disorders.

Another 1.4 million people go to a hospital emergency room for knee problems; 80 percent of the visits are due to injuries.

In 1994, 7,000 hospital visits were recorded for patients with a torn quadriceps tendon; 39.8 percent of the patients were under 18 years old; 24.7 percent, 18-44 years old; 25.7 percent were 45-64 years old; 9.8 percent were 65 or older.

In 1994, there were 50,000 hospital admissions for repair of the anterior cruciate ligament or posterior cruciate ligament in the knee.

The quadricep tendon ties four muscles in the thigh to the knee cap which is tied to the lower leg by another tendon. The quadriceps in front and hamstrings in back provide stability and strength when the knee is in motion.

Depending on the condition, the treatments for knee problems range from simply altering lifestyle to total knee replacement.

More artificial joint replacements are performed on the knee than any other joint. First performed in 1968, the procedure is actually a resurfacing of the damaged and worn surfaces of bone. More than 209,000 people, mostly age 65 and older, have total knee replacements each year to end the pain and restore their mobility.

People age 18 to 64 make up more than 27 percent of total knee replacement patients. Total knee replacements have been done on patients as young as age 16 and older than 90.

A biennial census of more than 14,000 orthopaedic surgeons in the U.S. by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons disclosed the knee is the most often treated anatomical site. Orthopaedists said 26 percent of all their cases involve the knee; 17.6 percent, the spine; and 14.8 percent, the hip.

An orthopaedic surgeon is a medical doctor with extensive training in the diagnosis and nonsurgical as well as surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system, including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves.

The 17,000-member American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals, and the public and is an advocate for improved patient care.