The Need For Knee Care

The man behind the first specialised chain of knee clinics in Bombay, Dr Arun Mullaji talks about the complexity of the joint, the leaps made in knee surgery and what you can do to prevent knee damage.

- Lyle Michael

 
Dem Bones, the spiritual song we all sang out many a times as children rings out loud in our minds when we sit in conversation with Dr Mullaji, the knee specialist — in practise for more than two decades — at his clinic in Cumballa Hill — one of four, the others in Ghatkopar, Powai and Khar.

"With specialised knee care, we employ knee resurfacing techniques and preserve the joint, thus restoring it to its natural feeling," begins the doc. Breaking down the dynamics of his treatment, he starts with the complexity of the knee, one of the largest joints, as comprising three compartments — medial compartment (the inside of the knee) lateral compartment (the outside) patellofemoral compartment (the front of the knee between the kneecap and thighbone) — with cartilage (made up of tissue), acting as a cushion in the knee, known as menisci. When this tissue begins to thin, problems crop up under `meniscis' problems in those below 40; when the wear and tear grows worse, the entire joint begins to get affected and the onset of major issues are witnessed in the 40 plus, such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis — ailments that are more commonly full blown in the elderly. What becomes primary in knee repair today then are options that incorporate advanced techniques, minimally invasive partial knee resurfacing, revision surgery and arthroscopic surgery with advanced pain management techniques that enable patients to recover without 90% physiotherapy post surgery, thus aiding the individual in feeling as natural as possible with the 'new' knee.