JERUSALEM – Doctors in al-Makassed Hospital in the city of Jerusalem were able to successfully perform for the first time a Partial Hemiarthroplasty surgery.
The procedure was performed on a 50-year-old lady who suffered from corrosion in a part of the knee joint, causing her severe pain, difficulty of walking and restricted joint movement, resulted from severe friction in the inner part of the knee.
Saif al-Din Abu al-Rub, a specialist in joint procedures and sport injuries and the doctor who supervised the surgery, said the surgery replaces traditional arthroplasty procedures, where doctors used to replace the full joint.
He explained that in the partial joint replacement procedure, saves the functioning part of the joint and replaces the half not functioning properly.
Abu al-Rub said this modern, developed technique is done through installing a half artificial device, which means that a shorter opening is made without causing injuries to the muscles or affecting their strength.
He said this kind of procedure makes a lot of difference for patients under the age of 50, where they are rehabilitated to move better and faster.
The partial hemiarthroplasty procedure is more complicated than the traditional procedure as it depends on following accurate steps, said Abu al-Rub, adding that that studies have shown that the procedure is successful by 98%, while the replaced joint remains functional for at least 15 years.
The patient confirmed she is experiencing remarkable improvement and she was able to move again during the first week of the procedure.
Abu al-Rub is the first Palestinian doctor to specialize in Knee Arthroscopy and cruciate ligament transplantation, with degrees from Frankfurt and Heidelberg universities in Germany.
(WAFA)
