OSMS Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Michael Tressler, joins Dr. Larry Loewen, Chiropractor, and host of the Dr. Larry Radio Show, to talk about his career and educational background, along with a failed knee replacement case study.

Starting with his career, Dr. Tressler shares that his first job was working on a farm near Green Bay, Wisconsin. He talks about how this experience instilled a strong work ethic that he carries into his medical practice today.

Following this, Dr. Tressler explains he completed his undergraduate studies at Washington University and obtained his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Tressler discusses how his initial interest in general surgery shifted to orthopedic surgery after meeting an influential orthopedic surgeon during his time at Georgetown.

Now specializing in treating a wide range of orthopedic conditions, including ACL injuries, arthritis, and rotator cuff injuries, Dr. Tressler performs various surgical procedures such as knee and shoulder replacements. He also emphasizes the importance of connecting with his patients on a personal level, often discussing shared interests like hunting, fishing, and cooking.

Dr. Tressler covers the topic of failed knee replacements, including the causes and complications associated with them.

1. About 25 years ago, the primary cause of knee replacement failure was polyethylene wear. The plastic would wear down, leaving microscopic particles inside the knee. The body’s immune system would attempt to remove these particles, leading to resorption of the bone around the implants and causing the implants to come loose.
2. Today, infection is the leading cause of knee replacement failure. Infection typically presents obvious signs such as redness, pain, and stiffness in the knee.
3. Although infections are the leading cause of failed knee replacements, Dr. Tressler shares that in his practice, the most frequent mode of failure he encounters in his practice is from improperly balanced implants. In a knee replacement, if the ligaments are not properly balanced, the knee may feel stable when the leg is extended but become unstable when the leg is flexed. This instability can cause the knee to nearly dislocate or partially dislocate during activities such as going up and down stairs or squatting. The instability leads to movement between the implants, which can cause chronic swelling and pain – a sign of a failed knee replacement.

Finally, Dr. Tressler and Dr. Larry discussed a failed knee replacement case study. The patient in the case study initially underwent a partial knee replacement for osteoarthritis with a surgeon not at OSMS, which was presumed to affect only part of her knee. However, she had severe degenerative changes in multiple compartments of her knee, making her a poor candidate for a partial knee replacement.

Due to untreated arthritis in the patella femoral compartment, the patient’s knee gave out, causing her to fall and suffer a severe femur fracture. She underwent emergency surgery to fix the femur fracture, which involved placing a rod from her hip to her knee.

When Dr. Tressler first saw this patient, she was still recovering from the femur surgery. She continued to experience terrible pain in her knee.

Dr. Tressler explained that the treatment would be a multi-stage process. First, they needed to allow the femur to heal completely before removing the hardware. Only then could they proceed with a revision knee replacement to correct the incorrect alignment caused by the initial partial knee replacement.

In the end, due to Dr. Tressler’s skill as a surgeon, the patient had a successful outcome and was able to return to her normal activities without pain.

Dr. Tressler advises patients to avoid failed knee replacements by thoroughly researching their options and seeking multiple opinions before undergoing surgery.

To learn more about Joint Replacements, visit: Answers to Your Joint Replacement Questions – OSMS

If you or someone you know is in need of a joint replacement or is experiencing pain from a failed joint replacement, schedule an appointment with one of the skills physicians at OSMS! We will help get You Back!

Watch Part 2 of the Dr. Larry interview with Dr. Tressler below!