On May 7, Dr. Berger performed a successful minimally invasive partial knee replacement on media personality Pat Robertson. The procedure was performed at Rush University Medical Center.

Robertson was suffering from osteoarthritis, a degenerative condition caused by the breakdown of cartilage in the knee joint. The condition is marked by bone on bone friction in the joint, resulting in a painful arthritic condition. Fortunately, in Robertson's case, only part of the joint was affected.

"Mr. Robertson had good cartilage on one side of the knee joint," says Dr. Berger. "This made him an ideal candidate for the minimally invasive partial knee replacement procedure."

Minimally invasive partial knee replacement surgery, technically known as unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, involves only the removal of the most damaged areas of cartilage. The rough edges of the end of the femur and top of the tibia are smoothed, cleaned, and the damaged cartilage is replaced with a plastic implant.

"The minimally invasive partial knee replacement surgical procedure is performed through a smaller incision, meaning that no muscles or tendons are cut," says Dr. Berger. "This results in a significantly faster recovery than traditional total joint replacement surgery."

Robertson can look forward to 10-20 years of life from the implant. His entire minimally invasive partial knee replacement procedure was documented by the 700 Club program. The film crew followed Robertson from his 6 a.m. pre-op through surgery and recovery. To view the feature, visit http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/161908.aspx.

For more information about the physicians of MOR, contact us by calling 877 MD BONES.