The Oxford:
Leading-edge treatment for partial knee replacement
First in Florida, and one of only 13 in U.S. Approved to perform Oxford TM partial knee replacement surgery.
David Orthopedic Center
Mark J. Davis, MD, FAAOS, P.A.

At 47 years old, Tina Spanos’s osteoarthritis was so significant that she could barely walk down the beach. “When I first moved to Florida 10 years ago, I played racquetball five nights a week, “ Tina remembers, “ but after a long, chronic osteoarthritic problem, my knee had deteriorated to the point where I was walking bone on bone.”
Tina works in the rehabilitation field as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA), and she says her patients were walking better than she was. “Before I became an OTA, I worked in the operating room, and orthopedics was my specialty,” she recounts, “so when I noticed my neighbor wearing a shirt that said Davis Orthopedics, I asked her about the practice.
“ She said she worked for Dr. Davis and talked about what a wonderful physician he was, so I scheduled a consultation.” As he does with all his patients, Dr. Davis had an in-depth discussion with Tina about her situation and the desired outcome. According to Dr. Davis, a thorough history and a clinical examination focused on determining levels and location of pain and stiffness are essential before making any recommendations. If arthritis and deteriorating cartilage are detected early, many patients can be helped by medication, joint protection, and physical therapy to ease pain and to restore motion.
For qualified candidates, Dr. Davis may first treat their knee with cortisone injections. Following that, he can inject Hyalgan directly into the knee joint to restore the cushioning and lubricating properties of normal joint fluid.
Conservative measures can sometimes forestall or eliminate the need for joint replacement,” states Dr. Davis. “When these are no longer sufficient to relieve pain and restore function, partial knee replacement is often the best available alternative for restoring quality of life.”
Clearly, that time had arrived for Tina. “Dr. Davis is very comforting and also professional and to the point,” says Tina. “He looked at my c-rays and thoroughly described my situation.” The doctor explains that x-rays are used to determine if arthritis is apparent only in the inside part of the knee, and important prerequisite in determining the best intervention. In a normal knee, the condyles --two rounded, knob-like protuberances at the bottom of the femur or thighbone--fit and move in the hollows of the tibia or shinbone, forming the actual knee joint. When one condyle is damaged due to wear, injury, or arthritis, the resulting pain and impaired motion of the knee can become incapacitating.
“ Dr. Davis told me I was definitely a candidate for a partial knee replacement if I so chose,” recounts Tina. “I told Dr. Davis that I had worked in an operating room for 14 years and was familiar with a total knee replacement but that the Oxford was new to me.”
The Oxford
“ The benefit of the Oxford meniscal unicompartmental knee system is that it is a mobile-bearing knee system: The plastic bearing slides, allowing the artificial knee joint to move,” informs Dr. Davis. “The implant’s outcomes and longevity are far superior to anything else out there on the market.”
According to the doctor, the FDA requires that only physicians who have actually trained with other physicians experienced with the Oxford surgical procedure be allowed to perform the surgery. Dr. Davis is one of the few doctors in the United States approved to perform the surgery.
“ Anytime a person’s joint give gives the recurring problems, I recommend they have it evaluated,” observes Dr. Davis. “The majority of my patients tell me they appreciate the fact that we try as many nonoperative treatments as make sense before we ever talk about surgery.
“ However, if other options are not successful, people don’t need to suffer for years and years waiting until they’re candidates for a total knee replacement; they can opt for our new Oxford knee system partial replacement and get back to a pain-free lifestyle much quicker.
“ Over 95 percent of my patients require only overnight hospital stays,” reports Dr. Davis, “and those who stay longer are usually patients who have special challenges at home. They are not staying longer because of surgical complications or discomfort.”
“ After reading about Dr. Davis’ credentials and identifying how much specialized training he had done and how many other doctors he had trained, I felt very comfortable about have the surgery,” reflects Tina. “I was also pleased to learn that patients who are prone to arthritis and may need a total knee replacement in the future would not be impeded by the Oxford, so I scheduled surgery for April 26, 2006.”
Joint Camp
Following Tina’s partial knee replacement, she went to Joint Camp. “Aside from the improvements in surgical techniques and materials, we now have new philosophies about rehabilitation that can speed a patient’s recovery following joint replacement,” says Dr. Davis. “Today, physical therapy is started almost immediately following surgery, while the patient is still in the hospital, which is vital to ensuring a speedy recovery. It allows the patient to regain knee strength and range of motion as quickly as possible by helping to strengthen the knee joint, to keep muscles strong, and to improve the new joint flexibility. Today’s patient is likely to recover more quickly and fully than ever before.
“ Our patients attend Joint Camp at Charlotte Regional Medical Center,” notes the doctor. “It begins within one day of surgery. About a half-dozen patients usually attend the camp, and they each have a reclining chair. A unit coordinator first explains everything in detail, and then the therapist leads our patients in exercises. The staff is consistent week to week, which leads to better patient care.”
“ I was happy to be able to experience Joint Camp,” notes Tina. “Working as an OTA and having my patients work through their pain toward increased strength, I can now truly empathize with what they are going through.
“ I’ve always been a kind therapist, but I admit it is still different being on the other side of the fence.” “The staff at Joint Camp is very encouraging,” observes Dr. Davis, “and after therapy they have lunch right there, sitting in their reclining chairs. They are able to meet all the other knee surgery patients and to share experiences.
“ And it is also important to me that my patients know our relationship doesn’t stop there,” adds Dr. Davis. “Many people in our area have not family living nearby, so I also reassure my patients that we have the resources and community connections to make sure that their rehabilitation and well-being are supervised after they leave the hospital.”
“ Dr. Davis referred me to a physical therapy center that was within a half mile of where I live,” says Tina, “and my recovery was amazing. After only two and a half weeks I was meandering down the river walk in Savannah, Georgia, over cobblestone streets with only a cane; within two months, my knee felt perfectly normal. It was like I never had anything done at all.” FHCN-Kris Kline

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