Knee pain can quickly lead to a loss of mobility and a stark reduction in quality of life. That’s why when choosing a Knee doctor in New Jersey, its best to rely on a knee doctor with extensive experience in all areas of knee function, anatomy and knee restoration. If you are looking for a Knee doctor in New Jersey, you’ve come to the right place. Dr. Lindholm is the resident knee expert at Restoration Orthopaedics, and has years of experience helping patients to regain proper knee function and get them back to the activities they love.

While you may be able to find relief from treatments like anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, bracing, and cortisone injections, know that you don’t have to life with knee pain if these treatments do not work. Whether you are experiencing mild knee pain or you are already a candidate for total knee reconstruction, you can rest assured that when you choose Restoration Orthopaedics you have one of the top knee doctors in New Jersey on your side.

Meet Doctor Stephen R. Lindholm – Your Orthopedic Knee Doctor in New Jersey

With a focus on knee issues that range from simple sports medicine injuries to complex revision total knee replacements, Dr. Lindholm is committed to providing a complete spectrum of orthopaedic knee care for patients all over New Jersey. Dr. Lindholm completed his undergraduate work at the University of Michigan and received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Lindholm completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of California – Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California. His postgraduate training includes a fellowship in knee and hip reconstruction and sports medicine at the prestigious Insall Scott Kelly Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Dr. Lindholm continues to update his education and techniques with advanced postgraduate courses and seminars and is regularly referred complex knee and hip patients from the community.

Dr. Lindholm is consistently ranked as one of the top knee doctors in New Jersey by 201 Magazine, Bergen Magazine, Vitals.com and NJ Monthly.

What Is A Knee Replacement?

Knee joint replacement is a surgical procedure in which certain parts of an arthritic or damaged knee joint are removed and replaced with a prosthesis, or artificial joint. The artificial joint is designed to move just like a normal, healthy joint and allows you to get back to enjoying normal, everyday activities without pain.

When non-invasive procedures fail to relieve discomfort and knee pain, Knee replacement surgery may provide the pain relief you long for and enable you to return to the activities you enjoy. If you do choose surgery, you’ll be in good company: More than a quarter-million Americans have knee replacement surgery every year. First performed in 1968, the procedure typically relieves pain and restores joint function. Dr Lindholm’s expertise is supported by his extensive training in sports medicine and knee reconstruction, as well as numerous advanced postgraduate studies and seminars to keep current on the newest advances in orthopaedic care.

Remember, even if your doctor recommends knee replacement for you to alleviate knee pain or restore function, it is still up to you to make the final decision. If you have already received a recommendation from your doctor, the team at Restoration Orthopaedics is happy to provide a second opinion to ensure that you are aware of all the options that are available to you to address your knee pain. The ultimate goal is for you to be as comfortable as possible with your choice — and that always means making the best decision based on your own individual needs.

When Should I Consider a Total Knee Replacement?

The best recommendation for your treatment can only be decided by you and your doctor. Whether or not you need surgery is a very personal decision that only you can make with the help of an orthopaedic specialist’s evaluation of your pain and its effects on your daily life. For example, experiencing knee pain day after day without relief can lead to “staying off” the joint — which often weakens the muscles around it, so it becomes even more difficult to move.

What Else Could Be Causing My Knee Pain?

Knee pain can occur in the setting of damage to the soft tissue structures in your knee.

The meniscus is a soft tissue structure that sits between the bones in your knee and provides cushioning for the joint. Sometimes, a meniscus can tear, either with or without a twisting injury or other trauma. When the meniscus tears this can cause swelling and knee pain.

Knee pain can also be caused by an anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tear. The ACL is a stabilizing ligament in the knee and can tear as a result of a translation injury or twisting injury.

Other ligaments such as the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), or medial collateral ligament (MCL) can also sustain sprains or tears and lead to pain and injury.

In any of the above cases, your doctor can help to determine the cause of your injury during the course of your visit.

Fortunately, many of these knee injuries can be treated non-surgically with a combination of treatment, medication and shoulder rehabilitation. If these treatments fail, knee arthroscopy has been proven to provide patients with realiable outcomes.

What Is Knee Arthroscopy and When Should I consider it?

There are a number of different treatment options that your knee doctor will discuss with you in detail. Conservative treatment options include forms of medication and physical therapy plans that are tailored for your condition.

Your doctor may also suggest minimally invasive knee surgery as one of your treatment options. With minimally invasive knee surgery also known as knee arthroscopy, specialized techniques and instrumentation enable the physician to perform major surgery with small incisions incision. In this respect, it is indeed “minimally invasive,” requiring a smaller incision and causing less trauma to the soft tissues.

Knee arthroscopy specifically involves placing an arthroscope, or camera, through a smaller incision and making other small incisions to place instruments into to perform the procedure. Arthroscopic procedures can be used to treat the above injuries such as meniscal tears and ACL injuries (click here for a video of the arthroscopic ACL reconstruction procedure) as well as to perform cartilage restoration in patients without severe arthritis.

Knee arthroscopy is considered to have certain advantages including potential for a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, and less scarring. However, knee arthroscopy is not the right procedure for everyone. Only your orthopedic specialist can determine its benefits for you.

What Are My Options For Treatment For Knee Pain?

There are a number of different treatment options that your knee doctor will discuss with you in detail. Conservative treatment options include forms of medication and physical therapy plans that are tailored for your condition.

Your doctor may also suggest Minimally Invasive Knee Replacement Surgery as one of your treatment options. With a minimally invasive knee surgery, specialized techniques and instrumentation enable the physician to perform major surgery without as large an incision. In this respect, it is indeed “minimally invasive,” requiring a smaller incision and causing less trauma to the soft tissues. MIS knee replacement is considered a step forward in total knee replacement for a number of reasons, which include the following: potential for a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, and less scarring. However, MIS surgery is not the right procedure for everyone. Only your orthopaedic specialist can determine its benefits for you.

How Do I Know If I Need A Hip Replacement?

Dr. Lindholm also regularly treats hip pain and hip arthritis.

Your hip is one of the main weight-bearing joints of your body, pain in your hip can be debilitating making it difficult for you to walk, climb stairs or enjoy the activities that you love. Hip pain can be caused by deformity or direct injury and can also be associated with osteoarthritis. To make matters worse, patients who experience joint pain day after day without relief can lead to “staying off” the joint — which often weakens the muscles around it so it becomes even more difficult to move.

You Don’t Have To Live With Join Pain That Keeps You Away From The Activities You Love

Your doctor will discuss your best treatment options after testing and diagnosis. Total hip replacements are often prescribed for:

  • Debilitating pain during movement or performing normal function.
  • Painful joint disease of the hip resulting in severe arthritis.
  • Patients that are not likely going to see satisfactory results from less invasive procedures are also candidates for hip replacement.
  • Patients that have bone stock that is of poor quality or will not support other restorative treatments.

If you have pain while performing everyday movements it may be a good time to consider what treatment options are available to you. An orthopedic trauma specialist can help you determine if there are preventative treatments that may help you. Preventative treatments help slow the onset of further damage to the hip joints and restore proper function.

If you have not experienced adequate results with medication and other conservative treatments, total joint replacement may provide the pain relief you long for. A replacement will allow you to return to the lifestyle and activities you enjoy before your injury.

Your orthopaedic specialist can tell you whether you might benefit from joint replacement and explain the reasons why it may, or may not, be right for you. Of course, even if your orthopaedic specialist determines that joint replacement is a good medical option for you, it is still up to you to make the final decision. The ultimate goal is for you to be as comfortable as possible during treatment That always means making the best decision for you based on your own individual needs.

About Restoration Orthopaedics

Restoration Orthopaedics is a leading orthopaedic surgery practice in Northern New Jersey, committed to achieving exceptional outcomes through continued research and specialty expertise, and to returning our patients to the activities they love as quickly and painlessly as possible. The surgeons at Restoration Orthopaedics are each fellowship-trained in orthopaedic specialties to provide care for a range of conditions, from sports medicine injuries and arthritis, to trauma surgery, ACL reconstruction, advanced shoulder and knee arthroscopy, and knee, shoulder, and hip replacements. The practice offers a complete spectrum of orthopaedic care to patients throughout Bergen, Essex, Passaic and Morris Counties as well as the New York Metropolitan Area. The physicians of Restoration Orthopaedics are on staff at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey, HackensackUMC at Mountainside in Montclair, New Jersey, and Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. Outpatient surgical procedures are also performed onsite in a state-of-the-art Same Day Surgery Center. Restoration Orthopaedics has offices located in Maywood, New Jersey and Wayne, New Jersey.