Knee Surgery

The knee is one of the largest joints in the body, formed between three bones – the thigh bone (femur), the shin bone (tibia), and the kneecap (patella).

At the joint, the surface of each bone is covered in a thin layer of a substance called articular hyaline cartilage. This cartilage contributes to the smooth movement of the knee and protects the bone underneath from getting damaged.

Knee pain can be caused by a number of factors including accidents (trauma), malalignment, the way in which the knee moves (biomechanics), and due to ageing (degeneration).

Depending on the nature of your condition, conservative methods of treatment, including physiotherapy and/or injections are often trialled prior to surgery.

Total Knee Surgery Santry Dublin
Image of right knee.

The knee is a hinge joint. This means that the knee’s main function is to allow the lower leg to bend and straighten up relative to the thigh. The knee also allows a small degree of medial (inner) and lateral (outer) rotation when the knee is bent.

  • A joint capsule surrounds the knee joint to provide strength and lubrication. There are also four main strips of tough tissue, called ligaments, which stabilise the knee joint:
  • The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) prevents the largest bone on the lower leg, the tibia, from sliding forward too much. This ligament also provides the knee with rotational stability.
  • The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) prevents the tibia from sliding backwards too much.

The medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL & LCL) provide lateral stability by controlling the sideways motion of the knee.

The knee also has two C-shaped rings of cartilage called the medial and lateral menisci. These act as shock absorbers in the knee, whilst also contributing to the stability and smooth movement of the knee.

Small pockets (known as bursae) filled with a fluid called synovial fluid surround the knee joint. These bursae help to cushion and protect the joint from friction.

There are also pockets of a tissue called adipose tissue, known as fat pads, which help to cushion the knee from external stress.

The main muscles that make up the knee are the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the gastrocnemius of the calf, and some smaller, deeper muscles.

When the quadriceps are engaged, the knee is straightened, whereas engaging the hamstrings and gastrocnemius muscle will bend the knee.

One of the muscle groups of the hips, the gluteal muscles, are also extremely important for controlling the knee joint.

For further information or to book an appointment with one of our knee specialists please contact info@sportssurgeryclinic.com

We carry out an orthopaedic evaluation of your knee through the following three activities:

  • A medical history to gather information about current complaints, duration of symptoms, pain and limitations, injuries, and past treatment with medications or surgery.
  • A physical examination to assess swelling, tenderness, range of motion, strength, instability, and limb alignment.
  • Diagnostic tests, such as X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which may be required to assess both the bony and soft-tissue structures of the knee.

We will discuss the results of your orthopaedic evaluation and the various treatment options available to you in detail.

Arthroscopy

Arthroscopic surgery is when the surgeon inserts a thin, pencil-sized device, containing a tiny lens and lighting system, into a small incision to look inside the knee joint. The images inside the joint are shown on a TV monitor and allow the surgeon to make a clear diagnosis.

Other surgical instruments can also be inserted so that repairs can be made, depending on the diagnosis.

Surgeries such as a partial meniscectomy, meniscal repair, or ACL reconstruction, are generally carried out using these arthroscopic methods.

Open Surgery

Knee replacement is an open surgery performed through an incision at the front of the knee. Other surgeries such as collateral ligament reconstruction and osteotomy are also performed by open incisions to the knee of varying lengths and location depending on the specific procedure.

Rehabilitation is crucial to maximise the success of any knee surgery, and commitment to a structured rehab programme is an essential part of your recovery.

This rehabilitation should be closely followed in consultation with your orthopaedic surgeon and chartered physiotherapist.

Click the following link to download this brochure SSC The Knee 

The Knee Surgery Guide Dublin

Suite: 5
Fax: +353 1 526 2204
Secretary: Lisa Gallen
Ray Moran Knee Surgeon
Ray Moran Medical Director
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon & Medical Director of the Sports Surgery Clinic
  • Partial Knee Replacement
  • ACL Reconstruction
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Patella Stabilisation
  • Knee Surgery
Suite: 20
Fax: +353 1 526 2317
Secretary: Martha Whelan / Sharon Porter
Owen Brady Hip Surgeon Knee Surgeon
Owen Brady
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Revision Hip Replacement
  • Revision Knee Replacement
  • Hip Surgery
  • Knee Surgery
Suite: Suite 12
Fax: +353 1 5262392
Secretary: Lisa Murtagh
Mr Stefan Byrne Surgeon
Stefan Byrne
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Hand Surgery
  • Hip Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
  • Paediatrics
  • Trauma
  • Wrist Surgery
Suite: 10
Fax: 01 526 2328
Secretary: Paula Murtagh
Neil Burke
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Hip Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
Suite: Lymewood Rooms
Secretary: Paula Mc Loughlin
Ms Noelle Cassidy
Noelle Cassidy
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Hip Surgery
  • Knee Surgery
  • Paediatrics
  • Spine
Suite: 10
Fax: +353 1 526 2224
Secretary: Sheena Murtagh
Mr Denis Collins SSC
Denis Collins
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Hip Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
  • Trauma
Suite: Aspen Suite (4th Floor)
Secretary: Vanessa Law / Nell Harding
Professor Brian M Devitt
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Sports Knee Surgery
  • Partial Knee Replacement
  • ACL Reconstruction
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
  • Knee Replacement
Suite: 19
Fax: +353 1 526 2382
Secretary: Jenny Castles
Mr Michael Donnelly Sports Surgery Clinic
Michael Donnelly
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Revision Hip Replacement
  • Revision Knee Replacement
  • Hip Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
  • Trauma
Suite: 15
Fax: +353 1 526 2214
Secretary: Rosemarie Corcoran
Mr Niall Hogan Sports Surgery Clinic
Niall Hogan
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • ACL Reconstruction
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Arthroscopic Surgery
  • Hip Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
  • Trauma
Suite: 3
Fax: +353 1 526 2192
Secretary: Siobhan O'Donoghue, Pamela O'Loughlin, Jess Hamilton.
Mark Jackson Knee Surgeon
Mark Jackson
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • ACL Reconstruction
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Arthroscopic Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
  • Soft Tissue
Suite: 9
Fax: +353 1 5262269
Secretary: Paula Smith
Mr Pat Kiely Sports Surgery Clinic
Pat Kiely
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Paediatrics
Suite: 13
Fax: +353 1 526 2274
Secretary: Sheila Newman
Mr Tom McCarthy Sports Surgery Clinic
Tom McCarthy
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • ACL Reconstruction
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Arthroscopic Surgery
  • Hip Arthroscopy
  • Hip Surgery
  • Knee Surgery
  • Trauma
Suite: Aspen Suite (4th Floor)
Fax: +353 1 526 2368
Secretary: Ann-Marie Briody / Brenda Maher
Mr Gavin McHugh Sports Surgery Clinic
Gavin McHugh
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Revision Hip Replacement
  • Revision Knee Replacement
  • Hip Surgery
  • Knee Surgery
  • Trauma
Suite: 17
Fax: +353 1 526 2353
Secretary: Edel O'Carroll
Professor Cathal Moran SSC
Professor Cathal J Moran
Professor of Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon.
  • ACL Reconstruction
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Shoulder Replacement
  • Arthroscopic Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
  • Shoulder Surgery
  • Sports Injury
Fax: +353 1 8822655
Secretary: Grace O'Connor
Professor Kevin Mulhall
Professor Kevin Mulhall
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Arthroscopic Surgery
  • Hip Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
Fax: +353 1 885 8876
Secretary: Anita Harrington
Professor John O'Byrne
Professor John O'Byrne
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Hip Surgery
  • Knee Surgery
Suite: 1
Fax: +353 1 526 2234
Secretary: Laura
Mr Shea O'Flanagan
Shea (James) O'Flanagan
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Rotator Cuff Treatment
  • Frozen Shoulder Treatment
  • Arthroscopic Surgery
  • Hand Surgery
  • Knee Surgery
  • Knee Arthroscopy
  • Shoulder Surgery
Suite: 7
Fax: +353 1 526 2259
Secretary: Anne Dunlop
Mr Keith Synnott
Keith Synnott
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Hip Surgery
  • Knee Surgery
  • Soft Tissue
  • Spine
Suite: Aspen Suite (4th Floor)
Fax: +353 1 526 2341
Secretary: Sarah Cullen / Orla Tully
Mr Mihai Vioreanu Sports Surgery Clinic
Mihai Vioreanu
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Sports Knee Surgery
  • Partial Knee Replacement
  • ACL Reconstruction
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Revision Hip Replacement
  • Revision Knee Replacement
  • Arthroscopic Surgery
  • Hip Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
  • Soft Tissue
  • Sports Injury
Suite: 5
Fax: 01 526 2204
Secretary: Lisa Gallen
Mr Dan Withers
Dan Withers
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Sports Knee Surgery
  • Partial Knee Replacement
  • ACL Reconstruction
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
Suite: Suite 11
Secretary: Nicola Keeley
Professor Joseph M Queally
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Total Hip Replacement
  • Total Knee Replacement
  • Revision Hip Replacement
  • Revision Knee Replacement
  • Hip Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Knee Surgery
  • Knee Arthroscopy
  • Trauma