Our Specialties Include
- Arthritis
- Arthroscopic Surgery
- Deformity & Disability
- Joint Replacement
- Minimally Invasive Knee Surgery Including Arthroscopic Repairs of the ACL & Restorative Cartilage Surgery
- Small Incision Knee Replacement Including the Oxford™ Knee
- Minimally Invasive Shoulder Surgery Including Arthroscopic Repairs for Rotator Cuff Tears, Cartilage, & Ligament Tears
- Sports Medicine
- Total Shoulder Replacement
- Reversed Total Shoulder Replacement
- Trauma & Fractures
Medical Legal Services
You can now request medical legal services online, such as IME, IRE, Deposition, Record Review, etc.
What's New
Tucker Orthopedics offers patients Reversed Total Shoulder Replacement, a technologically and surgically advanced procedure, which gives patients the ability to regain a significant amount of mobility and function of their affected arm.
Read More About
Reversed Total Shoulder
Replacement »
Tucker Orthopedics is pleased to offer the ACP procedure to our patients as an alternative to surgery and endeavors to keep the cost very reasonable especially when compared to the cost, risk, and morbidity associated with surgery.
Read More About
Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP) Injections »
Partial knee replacement with the OxfordTM Knee affords qualified patients at Tucker Orthopedics with a procedure that works just as well as a total knee replacement with several important advantages.
New Technology: Partial Knee Replacement with the OxfordTM Knee
Up to 1/3 of patients suffering from osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear) of the knee have a pattern of arthritis that affects only the medial or inner third of the joint.
When conservative nonsurgical treatment fails to relieve patient's pain, partial knee replacement surgery offers these patients the remarkable ability to restore their function and relieve their pain with minimally invasive surgery and a quick recovery.
Until about 2004, surgical options in the U.S. were limited for medial knee arthritis sufferers. Arthroscopic surgery was ineffective, realigning the leg with the tibial osteotomy procedure was painful with a prolonged recovery and a variable amount of relief that lasted on average only 7 to 10 years, and two piece partial knee replacements with fixed bearings had a checkered success rate of only about 70% and a longevity of only 10 years or so. Therefore, many patients with medial compartment arthritis were either offered nothing effective or were encouraged to undergo a total knee replacement, even though two thirds of their knee was in good shape!
This all changed in 2004 when the FDA approved the OxfordTM Knee. A one-of-a-kind British worldwide patented device that has three components including a mobile bearing between the metallic components, the OxfordTM Knee had been in use in Europe and the rest of the world for nearly two decades before the FDA approved its use here. The reasons why the FDA delayed this device approval were many, but the two most important were 1) they demanded proof that this novel device offered long term survivorship, and 2) teaching the demanding surgical technique to qualified surgeons needed to meet exacting regulatory criteria.
Biomet, a U.S. based manufacturer of joint implants, holds the worldwide licensing rights to manufacture and distribute the OxfordTM Knee. In 2005, they embarked on an FDA mandated program to train qualified orthopaedic surgeons in the safe and correct technique to implant the device. The use of the OxfordTM Knee is restricted to surgeons who have completed the mandatory training.
I was one of the first surgeons to qualify and train for the device in the U.S. Since 2005, I have implanted nearly 400 OxfordTM partial knee replacements, and achieved a Master Surgeon designation in 2006. In 2008, I patented an x-ray positioning device that helps surgeons determine whether knee arthritis patients qualify for the OxfordTM Knee.
My experience with the device confirms the European and British published results, with a better than 95% to 98% very good to excellent patient satisfaction and outcome ratings. I fully expect the long term success of the device will meet the 95% survivorship at 15 to 20 years now being reported in Europe, a result that is just as good as a total knee replacement.
Partial knee replacement with the OxfordTM Knee affords qualified patients with a procedure that works just as well as a total knee replacement with several important advantages. First and foremost this is a minimally invasive procedure done through a tiny two to three inch incision. No blood transfusions are ever necessary, pain is minimized, and patients are generally able to get up and put weight on the leg on the same day as surgery. The hospital stay is usually only one day, as opposed to a total knee replacement where patients are in the hospital nearly four days and often require a blood transfusion. Generally speaking, the recovery from an OxfordTM Knee is three times faster than a total knee replacement with one third the risk of complications.
Patients undergoing OxfordTM Knee partial knee replacement also report better function than total knee replacement recipients, with less stiffness and more flexibility. More often, OxfordTM Knee recipients report the ability to squat and kneel comfortably, and report a natural feeling knee. Many patients who have undergone one total knee and then undergo an OxfordTM Knee on the opposite side anecdotally report that they prefer the OxfordTM implant to their total knee replacement.
All knee implants, whether partial or total replacements, can fail due to fracture, loosening, or infection. Fortunately, these occurrences are rare. Just as fortunately, the OxfordTM Knee is easily converted to a total knee replacement if that ever becomes necessary.
I will be pleased to consult with you and determine the proper treatment for your knee arthritis, whether it be conservative or surgical. A treatment plan can be determined in most cases with one or two office visits.
Dr. Tucker
Last Modified: March 26, 2010