Jeff Stickney, MD

Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

(425) 823-4000

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Knee Limitations

Knee Surgery

Knee replacement is a very effective surgery for correcting the deformity and relieving pain from arthritis. The typical conditions leading up to the need for a knee replacement are osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid disease, and posttraumatic arthritis or damage to the cartilage after a prior injury. Knee replacement involves replacing or capping the joint surfaces where the cartilage has been damaged with metal and plastic components. The amount of bone removed in a knee replacement procedure is typically less than 9-mm. Typically three of the four major ligaments of the knee can remain in place. Minimally invasive surgery has really changed knee replacement as we are now able to perform the procedure through smaller incisions with less tendon and muscle damage due to improved instruments and techniques. The minimally invasive approach to knee replacement has led to less postoperative pain and a quicker recovery and improved motion due to less scar tissue formation. Computer-guided navigation is an additional advancement in knee replacement surgery. With the use of computer-guided navigation we are able to more consistently place the knee in perfect alignment thus resulting in a more predictable long-term outcome. With the use of robotic assisted surgery, we can plan for the best alignment and ligament balance during surgery. While knee replacement is very effective it is a challenging surgery to recover from, much more so than a hip replacement or shoulder replacement. You should expect improvement after a knee replacement for 6 to 12 months. The majority of improvement will occur in the first two months. Most people require therapy for 2 to 3 months after surgery and most people will not return to work for 1 to 3 months after surgery. Typically, physical therapy is performed in the home for the first two weeks after surgery and then on an outpatient basis for at least 2 to 3 months after surgery. Today most Knee replacements can be done in an Ambulatory Surgery Center or with a short 1 day stay in a hospital. The location chosen is dependent on overall health and fitness

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Knee Patient Education & Scientific Articles

What to Expect After a Meniscectomy

April 10, 2020

Dr. Stickney, a Kirkland orthopedic surgeon, is an expert in total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, exercise and health, and more. When it comes to meniscal injuries, many patients have little knowledge about the types of treatment options available and their outcomes.  The meniscus, a significant cushion or shock absorber in your knee, is a c-shaped disc of soft cartilage that sits between the femur and the tibia.  When the knee meniscus tears, the cushioning

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Should There Be Strict BMI Cutoffs for TKA and THA?

November 19, 2019

Dr. Stickney, a Kirkland orthopedic surgeon, is an expert in total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, exercise and health, and more. Recently we posted a blog about candidacy for and outcomes of Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) and Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) in morbidly obese patients who underwent pre-operative weight loss. Operating on obese patients for TKA and THA continues to be a hot button topic of risk versus reward in surgical outcomes. Two well-respected orthopedic

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Can Weight Loss Before Total Knee Arthroplasty Help?

October 14, 2019

When obese patients undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA), many surgeons require or request preoperative weight loss. A group of researchers sought to determine the amount of weight loss needed in this patient population, to improve TKA operative time, length of stay, discharge to a rehab facility, and functional improvement after surgery. This is the first known study to look exclusively at obese patients to understand how preoperative weight loss might improve knee surgical outcomes after

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After One Joint Wears Out, Will More Go?

September 19, 2019

Here’s a question I’m often asked by patients: “If one of my joints has worn out, how likely are the others to go?” A recent publication from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) lends some insights into this question. The study, found in the Aug. 12, 2019 issue of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, is the first of its kind. The likelihood of undergoing a 2nd Arthroplasty (Joint replacement) after hip or knee replacement had not previously

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Less Pain, Less Opioid Use After Total Knee Arthroplasty

September 6, 2019

Dr. Stickney, a Kirkland orthopedic surgeon, is a knee expert specializing in new knee surgery procedures, total knee replacement, sports medicine, and more. Managing postsurgical pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is critical to successful surgical outcomes including patient recovery, rehabilitation and overall satisfaction. Local infiltration analgesia (LIA) with anesthetic agents is shown to improve pain and reduce morphine consumption. It also shortens the length of hospital stays compared with using peripheral nerve blocks, which can hinder

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Can Activity Trackers Assist with Recovery After Knee or Hip Arthroplasty?

December 28, 2018

Commercial wrist-worn activity monitors, like those by Fitbit, the Apple Watch or Garmin, have the potential to accurately assess activity levels and have been gaining popularity in the last few years. In a 2018 study published in The Journal of Arthroplasty, researchers set out to determine if feedback from activity monitors can improve activity levels after total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty. To conduct this study, 163 people undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty or

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Home Exercise vs. Outpatient Physical Therapy Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

November 26, 2018

Dr. Jeff Stickney, a Kirkland orthopedic surgeon, can help you determine whether outpatient physical therapy or home exercise is better suited for your recovery following total knee arthroplasty. He specializes in orthopedic surgeries and health care including total knee replacement, joint replacement, sports medicine, and more. Contact doctor Stickney’s office today to learn more. Outpatient physical therapy (OPT) is the practice of visiting a healthcare facility such as a clinic or office to perform exercises

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Computer Assisted vs Conventional Total Knee Replacement

October 5, 2018

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic joint conditions, impacting nearly 27 million Americans, with people over 60 generally having some form of the disease. Of the few surgical solutions with long-term benefits, total knee replacement (TKR) is proven to aid with advanced osteoarthritis. However, 20% of patients report continued pain or stiffness in their knees following TKR – preoperative angular deformity from wear and tear can be difficult to correct, and contributes to

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Can Patients Who Live Alone Be Sent Home Safely After Joint Replacement?

April 18, 2018

According to a recent study published by The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery in partnership with Wolters Kluwer, most patients who live alone can safely be discharged home from the hospital to recover after knee or hip replacement surgery. This encouraging finding questions the firmly held belief that patients who live on their own should first be sent to an inpatient rehabilitation facility after undergoing hip or knee joint replacement surgery. “Patients living alone

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The Link Between Distance Running and Arthritis

March 9, 2018

Although distance running is often associated with numerous health benefits, the impact on hip and knee joint health has been inconclusive up to this point. Long-distance running has been linked with an increased prevalence of arthritis in some studies, but others have shown an inverse association or no association at all. In a recent study published by Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, authors Ponzio et al. investigate hip and knee health in active marathon

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