Dr. Lox on The Straw That Broke the Camels Back, a Unique Knee Pain Story

Every now and again a patient tells me a good story with some of their unique humor that makes everyone laugh. This patient has been having unique knee pain for some time. Advancing age and weight gain all lead to wearing degenerative knee arthritis and pain. A not uncommon story.

He was on a trip to Egypt to see the magnificent sights sitting on a camel. The camel became unhappy bearing his weight, and decided not to move. In fact the camel just sat down.

He proclaimed it was the straw that broke the camels back.

This lead him to seek consultation with Dennis M. Lox M.D. for his knee pain.

Knee Injuries and Time

Knee pain often develops over time. This can be the result of repetitive micro-trauma, an injury, or the aging process. Some occupations such as carpet and tile layers are up and down on their knees constantly.

This can often lead to unique knee pain and early onset knee arthritis.

Injuries from sport or trauma often result in chronic knee problems. The more severe the knee injury, the more likely the development of early onset knee arthritis.

An example being an anterior cruciate ligament tear (ACL) with subsequent knee surgery, versus Ilio-tibial band syndrome. Trauma and knee surgery both have been shown to accelerate the development of earlier knee degenerative arthritis. The more time that develops between knee trauma, and knee surgery the more the effects of arthritis progression are evident.

A typical scenario is 10-15 years following knee ACL injury, knee arthritis is quite evident. Actually, from a scientific standpoint, an ACL injury is such a violent knee injury it is equatable to instant arthritis at a cellular level.

Why?

Because such shearing forces are necessary to tear the ACL, associated tissues are damaged. This causes tearing of collagen fibers that connect the matrix ground substances. Once this occurs it is irreversible damage. The ensuing reaction leads to continued loss of matrix. A self propagating circuit of degenerative progression under the control of local cell signals.

Your body cannot repair its own joints. As a species in the animal kingdom, we are meant to break down. Lame animals get eaten. We do not, yet we cannot self repair our joints, thus we develop degenerative arthritis. Sad, but true.

Ibuprofen, cortisone injections, hyaluronic acid injections, and even knee surgery do not stop arthritis progression. All may temporarily alleviate pain, or get you back in the game of sports for a period of time, but the clock of Father Time and knee arthritis keeps ticking.

Unique Knee Pain & Weight Gain

Most Americans gain 10 pounds per decade. If degenerative knee arthritis from trauma is evident at 10-15 years, most Americans have put on weight during this time period.

Now as they become more troubled by their knees, they often cite their immobility as the root cause of their increasing weight. Meaning it is not the usual 10 pounds per decade, it has become more.

It is not atypical for an ex-athlete like a Football Player, with a bad knee injury, and one or two knee surgeries to put on 50 pounds in 10-20 years. Now, each pound is not a one pound per pound increase in knee force. It is more like a magnified force of 5 pounds per pound of extra body weight.

The average American gaining 10 pounds per decade has added 50 pounds of force in 10 years. The ex-athlete described above with the knee injury and 50 pound weight gain due to immobility, has added 250 pounds of force to their knee. This accelerates the degenerative progression of knee arthritis at an even faster rate.

Imagine carrying a 250 pound back pack all day on a bad knee. This is real life with real patients. Not every one is the same. There is such vast differences in patients a skilled Regenerative Medicine expert must know all this, and adapt treatment strategies for each patient.

This is why this patient said it was the straw that broke the camels back.

A personalized medicine approach is needed for optimal outcomes.

Regenerative Medicine and Knee Arthritis

Dennis M. Lox M.D. is an expert in Sports and Regenerative Medicine. Having been a multi-sport athlete and Giant Slalom ski racer, Dr. Lox understands this scientifically and personally. Injuring his ACL and medial meniscus with subsequent knee surgery in pre-stem cell days, the effects of knee trauma and degenerative arthritis progression is all too familiar.

However, even if there is no rewinding of time to pre-injury days, improving ones present condition with Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy options, can make significant differences in patients lives. It is knowing the intricacies of the art and Science of Medicine that truly make the difference between quality care. This is true in all aspects of medicine, including Regenerative Medicine. There is no substitute for an experienced dedicated Medical Doctor.

Dr. Lox has dedicated his practice to Sports and Regenerative Medicine for the last decade, having practiced musculoskeletal orthopedics for the last 29 years. During this time, Dr. Lox has continued to excel in learning and teaching other physicians. Dr. Lox has edited two medical textbooks, eight medical textbook chapters, written numerous scientific articles and abstracts, lectured Nationally and Internationally to Researchers and University Professors, including moderating Symposiums with some of the world’s leading experts in the fields of Sports Medicine, Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Science and Tissue Engineering.

Dr. Lox maintains an active Sports and Regenerative Medicine practice in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, and in Beverly Hills, California.