Personalized care to keep you moving.
Joint pain and joint injuries can slow your life to a halt. At ECU Health Orthopedics, we’re here to get you moving again. With advanced technology like the ROSA Knee System, our teams have the expertise and tools to help you feel better. From joint reconstruction to tendon surgery and repair, our teams can take care of all of your needs.
We have minimally invasive surgery available for various injuries and conditions. If you need surgery, we work closely with our Therapy and Rehabilitation teams to help you on the road to recovery from your injury. We have you covered from head to toe with ECU Health Orthopedics and we’re ready to serve you in Greenville, North Carolina and across eastern North Carolina.
We treat common joint conditions including:
- Ligament tears
- Knee, hip and shoulder pain and injuries
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Joint pain
We provide surgical and non-surgical solutions including:
- Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Joint reconstruction
- Joint resurfacing
- Joint replacement
- ACL repair
Treatments and Technologies
Arthroplasty is a surgery to restore the function of a joint. A joint can be restored by resurfacing the bones. An artificial joint (prosthesis) may also be used.
Arthroplasty may be used when medical treatments no longer relieve joint pain and disability. Some treatments for osteoarthritis that may be used before arthroplasty include: anti-inflammatory medicines, pain medicines, limiting painful activities, assistive devices for walking, such as a cane, physical therapy, cortisone injections into a knee joint, viscosupplementation injections to add lubrication into the joint, loss of excess weight, exercise and conditioning.
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure. This means it uses only small incisions. It’s used to diagnose and treat conditions that affect joints. The surgeon can directly view the inside areas of a joint using a tool called an arthroscope. This is a small, tube-shaped tool that’s used to look inside a joint.
Orthopedic surgeons use arthroscopy to diagnose and treat joint problems. The scope has a system of lenses, a small video camera, and a light for viewing. The camera is connected to a video screen. This lets the surgeon see a joint through a very small incision. The arthroscope is often used along with other tools that are put through another incision.
Arthroscopy is most often used on the knee. But arthroscopy can be used in other joints, including the shoulder, elbow, ankle, hip and wrist.
Joint replacement surgery removes and replaces an arthritic or damaged joint with an artificial joint (prosthesis). It may be considered only after other treatment options have failed to ease pain or improve function.
The ROSA® Knee System is a robotic surgical assistant developed by Zimmer Biomet for total knee replacement and is available at ECU Health SurgiCenter and ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, a campus of ECU Health Medical Center. Our specially trained surgeons use ROSA® Knee System to personalize the approach to total knee replacement – tailoring the placement of your knee implant just for you.
ACL Repair
The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is a band of tough, fibrous tissue that helps stabilize the knee. Injury to this ligament often happens when the knee is forced beyond its normal range of motion. This can stretch or tear the ligament, much like the fibers of a rope coming apart. Both surgical and nonsurgical treatment has been used to recover from an ACL tear. Several types of surgery are available based on you and your healthcare provider’s preferences, as well as other factors. Some surgeons will operate soon after an ACL tear. Others prefer several weeks of physical therapy first. There are also different anesthesia choices available.
Knee Osteotomy
Knee osteotomy is surgery to shift the positioning of the knee. This changes which part of the knee bears the most weight. This surgery is often done to treat arthritis that affects one side of the knee. It may also be done to treat bowlegs (knees turn outward) or knock-knees (knees turn inward).
Knee Replacement
The knee is a joint that works like a hinge. It is formed where the thighbone (femur), shinbone (tibia), and kneecap (patella) meet. It is supported by muscles, tendons and ligaments. It is also lined with cushioning cartilage. Over time, cartilage can wear away. As it does, the knee becomes stiff and painful. An artificial knee joint (prosthesis) can replace the painful joint and restore movement.
Total Knee Replacement
Hip Replacement
Hip replacement (total hip arthroplasty) is surgery to replace a worn out or damaged hip joint. The surgeon replaces the old joint with an artificial joint (prosthesis). This surgery may be a choice after a hip fracture or for severe pain because of arthritis.
Various types of arthritis may affect the hip joint, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and traumatic arthritis.
The goal of hip replacement surgery is to replace the parts of the hip joint that have been damaged. It also helps relieve hip pain that can’t be controlled by other treatments.
Hip Impingement Repair
When excess bone has formed on the edge of the ball (femoral head) or the socket (acetabulum) of the hip, it’s called femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). FAI can cause pain and limit movement. Arthroscopy can fix FAI with only small incisions and special tools.
To treat FAI, the area is reshaped by taking out excess bone. Excess bone can be taken from the socket side or ball side of the hip joint, or both. FAI can lead to cartilage problems, such as labral tears or chondral damage. If present, these problems are also treated.
Osteonecrosis Treatment
Osteonecrosis is a disease of the bones. It’s when blood flow to a bone is slowed or cut off. The cells in the bone start to die from a lack of blood. Over time, the bone breaks down. You may develop arthritis and have pain and trouble moving.
Removing parts of the bone or replacing it with a graft may restore blood flow and lessen pain. In some cases, you may need joint replacement surgery.
Total Hip Replacement
Total hip replacement surgery almost always reduces joint pain. During this surgery, your problem hip joint is replaced with an artificial joint, called a prosthesis.
Total hip replacement surgery almost always:
- Stops or greatly reduces hip pain. Even the pain from surgery should go away within weeks.
- Increases leg function. Without hip pain, you’ll be able to use your legs more. This will build up your muscles.
- Improves quality of life by allowing you to do daily tasks and low-impact activities in greater comfort.
- Provides years of easier movement. Most total hip replacements last for many years.
Total Hip Resurfacing
Hip resurfacing is a type of surgery to replace a damaged hip joint.
In the normal hip joint, the rounded head of the thighbone (the femoral head) moves smoothly inside the round socket of the hipbone. Normally, the socket is lined with cartilage. This helps the bones move smoothly. When there is damage to this joint, moving the femoral head may cause pain as the bones scrape together abnormally when there is damage to this joint.
During hip resurfacing, your surgeon makes an incision to access your hipbone and thighbone. Next they trim and cap your femoral head with a smooth metal covering. Your surgeon also removes the part of the damaged bone with the hipbone socket. It is replaced with a metal shell.
Arthritis and loose bodies
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint. The labrum normally supports and cushions the shoulder joint. In a torn labrum, the socket that the ball (the upper end of your arm) fits into isn’t very deep. The shallow socket raises the chance for instability.
The labrum may tear off the rim of the glenoid. This can cause the joint to catch or feel like it’s slipping out of place. The shoulder may even dislocate.
A torn labrum is fixed by reattaching it to the glenoid. This is often done with special anchors put into the glenoid bone. Stitches attached to the anchors are tied to hold the labrum in place. The joint is then more stable.
Impingement
Repeated overhead movements can inflame your rotator cuff and bursa. A bone spur may also form. This causes pain and problems with some arm movements. Impingement is also called bursitis or tendinitis.
During surgery, an inflamed bursa may be removed. Bone may be trimmed. And the ligament may be detached. These steps make more room. This eases pressure and lets the arm move more freely.
Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement
A reverse total shoulder replacement is a special type of shoulder surgery. During the surgery, your surgeon removes the damaged parts of the shoulder and replaces them with artificial parts.
The shoulder joint is made up of the upper arm bone (humerus) and the shoulder blade (scapula). The rounded end of the upper arm bone moves inside a shallow socket in the shoulder blade. Because of this, your shoulder normally has a very wide range of motion. Cartilage, tendon, and ligaments around the joint also provide support and help the joint move smoothly.
During the surgery, your surgeon removes the rounded head of the upper arm bone. Using screws and special tools, they attach a plastic socket to the remaining bone. The surgeon also removes part of the socket of the shoulder blade. This is then replaced with a metal ball. The metal ball can then move around inside the socket that attaches to the upper arm bone.
Rotator Cuff Repair
The rotator cuff is made up of muscles and tendons that hold the shoulder in place. It’s one of the most important parts of the shoulder. It allows you to lift your arm and reach up. An injury to the rotator cuff, such as a tear, may happen suddenly when falling on an outstretched hand or develop over time due to repetitive activities. Rotator cuff degeneration and tears may also be caused by aging.
SLAP/Biceps Tendon Repair
A SLAP lesion is a shoulder injury. It happens when there is a tear in the upper part of the labrum. This is the fibrous cartilage that helps hold the shoulder joint in place. Surgery can repair this injury. This surgery may be done through a few small cuts (incisions), called arthroscopic surgery. Or, it may be done through one larger incision, called open surgery. You and your health care provider will discuss which method is right for you.
Stretched capsule
A stretched capsule will often stay loose. A loose capsule can’t hold the joint firmly in place. The bones of the joint may feel like they move too much, and the shoulder can dislocate.
During arthroscopy, a stretched capsule is folded over itself and stitched in place. This is done from inside the capsule. This tightens the capsule, helping make the shoulder joint more stable.
Torn Labrum Repair
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint. The labrum normally supports and cushions the shoulder joint. In a torn labrum, the socket that the ball (the upper end of your arm) fits into isn’t very deep. The shallow socket raises the chance for instability.
The labrum may tear off the rim of the glenoid. This can cause the joint to catch or feel like it’s slipping out of place. The shoulder may even dislocate.
A torn labrum is fixed by reattaching it to the glenoid. This is often done with special anchors put into the glenoid bone. Stitches attached to the anchors are tied to hold the labrum in place. The joint is then more stable.